DEWATERING/CENTRIFUGING

REGS has recently formed its dewatering and centrifuging division. REGS expended significant sums to acquire and configure three large centrifuges and has just entered the growing dewatering market in the last two months. During the construction of the fully mobile centrifuge machines, REGS rented centrifuges from third parties in order to service its important and new customers.

In various parts of the country, there has been a public outcry to keep Class B biosolids away from possible human contact because they pose a significant health risk. Public perception of the hazards associated with sludge is driving sales of machinery that can produce Class A, exceptional quality, biosolids. "As a result of this negative public attention, municipalities and industrial facilities will be forced to find products that will allay community fears," says the author of this research.

Because public concern is always a major influence in the change to better equipment, this particular issue is expected to increase sales of all types of sludge handling equipment. Since industrial facility wastewater runoff is often laden with debris not commonly found in municipal wastewater, industrial facilities are undertaking the wastewater treatment process themselves. Municipalities are beginning to overload due to population growth and increased strain on the equipment used to eliminate pollutants, forcing industrial sectors to limit their sanitary sewer system pollutant levels.

Centrifugal thickening and dewatering is a high speed process that uses the force from rapid rotation of a cylindrical bowl to separate wastewater solids from liquid. Thickening before digestion or dewatering reduces the tank capacity needed for digestion and storage by removing water. Dewatering removes more water and produces a drier material referred to as “cake” which varies in consistency from that of custard to moist soil.

  • Dewatering offers the following advantages:
    • Reduces volume, saving money on storage and transportation.
    • Eliminates free liquids before landfill disposal.
    • Reduces fuel requirements if the residuals are to be incinerated or heat-dried.
    • Produces a material, which, when blended with a bulking agent, will have sufficient void space and volatile solids for composting.
    • Eliminates ponding and runoff, which can be a problem when liquid is land applied on the surface rather than injected.
    • Optimizes air drying and many stabilization processes.