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SEWAGE SLUDGE ENTRENCHMENT SYSTEM FOR USE BY SMALL MUNICIPALITIES
Citation:
Walker, J., L. Ely, P. Hundemann, N. Frankos, AND A. Kaminski. SEWAGE SLUDGE ENTRENCHMENT SYSTEM FOR USE BY SMALL MUNICIPALITIES. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/2-78/018.
Description:
A method of disposing of dewatered sewage sludge by entrenching it into soil was developed for small communities. Readily available and relatively inexpensive equipment was used. Included were a tractor equipped with a loader and backhoe, and dump truck or concrete mixer truck. A tractor operator and a truck driver were required. Trenches, dug with the backhoe, were 60 cm wide, 60 cm deep, and 60 cm apart. The time required to entrench 12 tons of dewatered sludge was one hour. The estimated cost of sludge incorporation was less than $15.00 per ton of dewatered sludge. Cost items included equipment, personnel, hauling (64 km round trip), land, drainage monitoring, and cultivation. Reuse of a previously trenched site indicated that about 2 years is the minimum satisfactory time lapse between the first and second entrenchment. Trenching of limed sludge cake can be done without odor or surface water runoff problems. Trenching is most appropriate on low quality land where surface application is not feasible.