A Quick Guide on Dewatering Sludge Using Geotextile Tubes

Sludge dewatering aims to separate sludge into solid materials and water to reduce waste. This is especially in industrial wastewater treatment plants and municipal sewage plants. As you probably know, several methods can be employed to dewater sludge.

Most of the dewatering processes bring about cost, space, and logistic inefficiencies. Fortunately, geotextile dewatering tubes have proven to be an effective alternative that not only saves on space but also reduces dewatering time. 

A geotextile tube is made of porous fabric that allows water to escape easily so that sludge is left in the bag. Read on as the article explores the steps for dewatering sludge with the geotextile bags.

First, determine a suitable site to install your dewatering bags. You are looking for a place near the water treatment plant to reduce additional costs. Dewatering bags should be installed in a smooth area to prevent damage. 

Be sure to stabilize weak foundations to eliminate the chances of soil, gravel, or concrete erosion, depending on the material that makes up the foundation. Specialists recommend the placement of dewatering bags on flat areas or sites with a maximum slope of 1%.

Having established the right site, you can proceed with the installation of dewatering tubes. The process involves unfolding the bags and aligning them flat on the surface. Be sure to anchor the bags to prevent them from rolling when they fill up and avoid using sharp objects that can damage the fabric, thereby rendering the bags ineffective.

Each of the dewatering tubes consists of a fill port through which sludge flows into the cavity. A reliable way to fill the bags is by pumping the sludge with a dredge. It’s recommendable to install control valves on the dredge’s discharge pipe to allow you to control the inflow of the sludge into the tubes. 

The dredge discharge pipe runs on top of the bag. It’s therefore wise to support the discharge tube to reduce stress and prevent potential damage to the filling port seam. The geotextile tube expands as sludge flows in, but ensure that it does not exceed the recommended height. 

Dewatering time varies largely depending on the volume of the sludge. You might consider disposing of the solid material in another area. Here, you must tear up the fabric to expose the solid material and employ suitable methods to relocate it. Alternatively, you can store the solid in the dewatering bags permanently.

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