The publication describes and evaluates the various municipal sludge combustion systems. It also emphasizes the necessity for considering and evaluating the costs involved in the total sludge management train, including dewatering, combustion, air pollution control, and ash disposal processes. It is intended to supplement but not replace EPA technology transfer publications on sludge treatment and disposal, dewatering municipal wastewater sludges, municipal sludge landfills, and land application of municipal sludge. It also answers questions that have been raised about incineration as a means of processing sludge solids for ultimate disposal and presents factual answers supported by case histories. The primary objectives of the document are: (1) to assess the current status of municipal sludge combustion technology as to performance of in-place systems, environmental concerns, and regulatory agency viewpoints; (2) to determine what needs to be done to make municipal sludge combustion more economical, including upgrading the performance of present and future systems; (3) to discuss technology in the R and D stage.

Spine title: Seminar publication: municipal wastewater sludge combustion technology. "September 1985." "EPA/625/4-85/015." Prepared in conjuction with the International Conference on Thermal Conversion of Municipal Sludge, held Mar. 21-24, 1983, Hartford, Conn.