Management of water treatment plant residues

Abstract

Water is a scarce precious source which is the basic requirement for existence of all living things Local bodies agencies set up water treatment plants to process raw water to convert them suitable for consumption Due to the chemicals involved in the purification process in the form of coagulants, sludge results as an inevitable byproduct of the treatment process The responsibility of water utilities is not only limited to the production of safe drinking water but also efficient and safe disposal of water treatment plant residues Most of the existing plants dispose sludge by discharging into the near by natural water courses or at the point of extraction The discharge of sludge into water body leads to accumulative increase in aluminium concentration in the environment Though alternative methods of sludge disposal such as land filling and soil conditioning of sludge have been identified it is not feasible and economical to follow the methods due to certain practical constraints