Installation of screw press for solids dewatering at the Westerly Wastewater Treatment Plant

摘要

Before 2018, the town of Westerly, Rhode Island, disposed of sludge generated at the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and septage received there as liquid sludge. The process required three to four trucks per day, something time-consuming for the plant operators, expensive, and disruptive to the surrounding roads and community. The town evaluated several alternatives for installation of a dewatering process to alleviate the issues with the disposal process. A screw press was selected as the preferred technology. Pilot- and bench-scale testing provided the necessary information to size the equipment and design the process. Construction began in May 2018, and the WWTP was processing sludge by October 2018. The project reduced disposal costs and truck traffic, and allowed operators to spend more time on other parts of the WWTP.