Drinking water treatment sludge as a partial substitute for clays in non-structural brick production

Abstract

Abstract The sludge as by-products of the water treatment is composed of particles of sand, silt and clay, colloidal organic matter and chemical substances that have been added to the water source during the treatment processes, this has aroused interest in its study as an economic and sustainable alternative in the making of non-structural and ornamental materials, among others. This research was carried out in a water treatment plant in the municipality of Ocaña, Colombia, which does not have a system for the adequate treatment and final disposal of the sludge generated, resulting in the discharge of this waste directly into the body of water, Algodonal river. Sampling of the sludge was taken from the plant for the analysis of its physical properties; subsequently, bricks with different mixing ratios are made and subjected to resistance tests according to national and international standards. It was found that the sludge generated in the sedimentation tank of the water treatment plant has a potential for the manufacture of non-structural brick, taking into account that the results of the tests showed similar or superior properties in comparison with a commercial brick produced in the region.