Sludge management of small water and wastewater treatment plants

Abstract

“Disposal or reuse?” is the big question in respect to sewage and water sludges. This question is even more decisive for small plants, because the achievement of the advanced treatment necessary for disposal is much more difficult in small units than in big ones. The paper discusses this question with main focus on small WWTPs and gives a short overview of the specifics of sludge treatment in small units as well as of outlets for sludge from water treatment plants. In general, small WWTPs do not have a better sludge quality than larger ones, but the economic pressure to realise reuse is higher on them than on large plants.