The purpose of this report is to provide background information on the handling and disposal of sludges and liquid sidestreams produced in municipal wastewater treatment works. The intent of this report is to provide design engineers the information needed to arrive at environmentally sound and cost-effective methods of sludge handling and disposal. The term 'sludge', for the purpose of this study, includes all solid and semisolid wastes and suspensions of solids resulting from the operation of wastewater treatment facilities. The sludges produced can be entirely organic in nature, inorganic, or a combination of both, depending on the treatment processes employed in removing the suspended, colloidal, and dissolved pollutants from the wastewater. The handling, treatment, and eventual disposal of the various sludges and process liquid sidestreams can create some difficult technical problems involving appreciable costs. It is noted that sludges and sidestreams are an integral part of the entire wastewater treatment operation. It is not possible to optimize the design of wastewater treatment works to ensure the required effluent quality, for the least capital investment and operating cost, without considering the sludge and sidestream handling and disposal methods as integral with the other processes. Portions of this document are not fully legible.

"EPA-430/9-76-007." "June 1976." "Prepared for Environmental Protection Agency"--Cover. "PB-255-769." Includes bibliographical references (pages 89-100) and index. Sponsored by the Office of Water Program Operations, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Contract Number: 68-01-0324.

Introduction -- Description of terms used in report -- Discharge of industrial wastes to municipal wastewater treatments systems -- Types and characteristics of sludges and liquid sidestreams produced -- Sludge stabilization -- Sludge thickening -- Supernatants from biological digesters -- Sludge conditioning -- Sludge dewatering and sidestreams produced -- Final disposal -- Reclamation and reuse of sludge -- Other tertiary and advanced treatment processes -- Acknowledgments.