Water
Sludge Treatment and Disposal
A programme in treating and disposing of the sludge produced by wastewater treatment plants and drinking water treatment plants: its characteristics, thickening, stabilisation, conditioning, dewatering, drying, and options for beneficial use and safe disposal.
Overview
About the programme
Duration
3 days
Training hours
15 hours
Delivery
Training hall · Virtual · At your premises
Language
Arabic or English
Objectives
Training outcomes
- Characterise types of sludge and their properties and calculate their quantities.
- Operate thickening and dewatering processes and select polymer doses.
- Compare stabilisation methods: anaerobic digestion, aerobic digestion and lime stabilisation.
- Evaluate options for use and disposal: land application, composting, landfill and thermal treatment.
- Apply safety requirements in sludge facilities.
Content
What the programme covers
Day 1: sludge and thickening
- Types of sludge: primary, waste biological, chemical, and sludge from drinking water plants; and their characteristics: total and volatile solids.
- Calculating sludge quantities and the mass balance, and thickening by gravity, flotation and gravity belt.
Day 2: stabilisation and dewatering
- Anaerobic digestion, biogas production and digester monitoring, aerobic digestion, and lime stabilisation.
- Polymer conditioning and dose selection, and dewatering with belt presses, centrifuges, filter presses, screw presses and drying beds.
Day 3: drying, disposal and safety
- Solar and thermal drying, composting, land application and its conditions, landfill, and thermal treatment and use as an alternative fuel.
- The requirements of the competent authorities in Saudi Arabia for the use and disposal of sludge, and international reference standards such as Part 503 of the US Environmental Protection Agency regulations.
- Safety: methane and hydrogen sulfide in digesters, odours and confined spaces, followed by the assessment.
Who it is for
Target audience
Operators and engineers of sewage, industrial wastewater and water treatment plants, and environmental specialists responsible for managing these plants’ residuals.
Method
Delivery method
Lectures, calculation exercises on the mass balance and polymer doses, and case studies of disposal options. A walk-through of the sludge facilities at the organisation’s plant can be added. In Arabic or English.
Questions
FAQ
Does the programme cover sludge from drinking water plants?
Yes. It covers the alum and iron sludge produced by drinking water plants, alongside sludge from sewage and industrial wastewater plants.
Can it be delivered at our plant?
Yes. It is delivered at the organisation’s premises, and the exercises can be linked to data from the sludge units at its plant if it shares them with the centre.
A programme tailored to your organisation
The duration and topics of the programme are adjusted to the organisation's needs, and it is delivered at its site, in a training hall arranged by the Center, or virtually.