How a polymer dosing system can make or break your sludge dewatering process.
DATE POSTED: February 28, 2022
Polymer is the secret ingredient for maximizing dewatering and achieving high quality filtrate from the Geotube® containers in our Bishop Solids Management Solution. But selecting the right polymer is not enough to get the best results.
Precise dosing is critical to ensure that the operation runs smoothly and that dewatering occurs as required without any unfortunate incidents. Not enough polymer will result in poor dewatering performance, insufficient solids retention and low-quality filtrate. Too much polymer can clog the pores of the Geotube container and prevent water from being released. In such a case, the bag is no longer usable and could burst if operators fail to notice the problem and overfill the container.
Bishop Water’s VEPAS™ (Venturi Emulsion Polymer Activation System) is an easy-to-use and affordable system that mixes and fully activates liquid polymer emulsions in a single step, adds the precise dose directly into the sludge feed line and eliminates the need for messy mechanical mixers and bulky aging tanks.
Compact size, smart controls
VEPAS polymer dosing can be configured to monitor sludge flow and consistency using flow and mass meters, enabling it to automatically adjust polymer dose to achieve the optimum mix and dewatering properties. These smart controls also communicate with 4-20 mA inputs, which enables VEPAS to be integrated to the plant SCADA system and configured to automatically begin operating when sludge pumps are activated.
The compact, skid-mounted VEPAS occupies a fraction of the space of a conventional mechanical polymer system and can be quickly installed for new or retrofit applications in treatment plants, mobile trailers, or utility buildings.
Our Bishop Solids Management Solution with Geotube® dewatering technology and VEPAS is an integrated solution that can work with any wastewater treatment plant or industrial process to collect and dewater slurry materials. This enables any facility to build a compact, rapid dewatering solution that saves time, reduces operating costs, and simplifies sludge management.
A simple test can help us determine precise dosing of the polymer selected for your site and build a skid-mounted system that can be installed quickly. Once installed, our team can provide onsite training and are easily accessible to assist with ongoing maintenance and support.
Read a recent article that shows how our Bishop Solids Management Solution and VEPAS enabled the North Rustico WWTF to simplify sludge handling and significantly reduce operating costs.
Learn more about VEPAS.
Contact us to discuss a Bishop Solids Management Solution or VEPAS for your treatment plant.
Spring is coming. Get ready to remove your lagoon’s sludge blanket
DATE POSTED: January 29, 2020
It won’t be long before spring weather arrives and wastewater lagoons begin to thaw and return to more efficient operation. But as this happens, non-aerated lagoons can experience benthal feedback—a process where the turbulence of the warming water stirs up the sludge blanket and releases hydrogen sulfide gas along with nutrients that have accumulated in the settled sludge.
The result is not only wafting odours, but also potentially high concentrations of TSS, BOD, phosphorus and ammonia in treated effluent. In some cases, the concentrations of some wastewater constituents can be higher in the treated effluent than the influent.
An excessively thick sludge blanket can often be the cause of these symptoms. Too much sludge also reduces lagoon capacity, retention time and can change the flow path of the wastewater.
Removing some, or all, of the sludge blanket can quickly restore lagoon capacity and eliminate performance issues. In some cases, the installation of baffles, aeration and/or fixed-film biological treatment can also provide a significant, cost-effective improvement to lagoon performance.
Map the blanket to fully understand the problem
Creating a sludge map is an important first step to measure the thickness of the sludge blanket and how it’s distributed throughout the lagoon cell. Once the measurements are complete, Bishop Water can discuss important sludge management considerations and actions including:
- Current lagoon capacity vs. design capacity
- Depth and distribution of sludge
- Location and volume of recommended sludge removal
- Budget and long-term planning for sludge removal
Bishop Water Technologies can provide comprehensive services to measure, plan, remove and dewater sludge from wastewater treatment lagoons of all sizes. Our advanced hydraulic dredge enables lagoon cleanout to occur while the facility remains in operation and the Bishop Solids Management Solution—using Geotube® dewatering containers—dramatically reduces the cost of sludge disposal and truck traffic.
Contact us to discuss your lagoon’s sludge blanket and a sludge management plan.
Learn more about the Bishop Solids Management Solution