Sustainable biosolids management: a review of best available technologies for sludge stabilisation and volume reduction

Summary

Australian water utilities face a significant challenge in moving towards more sustainable biosolids management. There is increasing pressure to move away from the traditional approach of land application of dewatered biosolids due to escalating transport costs, community impacts such as odour and truck movements, and the risk of changing regulation or public perception affecting the future viability of land application. Different sludge treatments have been compared regarding performances, opex and carbon foot print for 2 case studies: Australian Inland and Coastal WWTP. Results have shown that thermal sludge treatments, especially Wet Air Oxidation which is now a proven technology, are highly competitive compared to conventional sludge treatments particularly when sludge disposal costs are high.

Key words

treatment facilities , sludge , thermal drying , incineration , liquid-phase oxidation , technosand , carbon emission