Sludge, the current problem or where did my budget go?

Sludge management costs have increased considerably as a result of upgrades to the liquid stream in both water and wastewater treatment plants. These have also been impacted by increases in haulage and landfill acceptance costs. This paper discusses some of the issues involved with developing a coherent, cost effective and sustainable sludge management strategy.

These issues include the lack of information on sludge quantity and quality, as most if not all monitoring is on the liquid stream. There is also a lack of clarity as to the applicability of the Biosolids Guidelines to non-standard land application options. Also, this paper will address the (in)ability of the Guidelines to address the risks perceived by stakeholders associated with biosolids application to land, especially the commercial and social barriers. There are considerable costs involved with demonstrating compliance with the Biosolids Guidelines, especially the monitoring provisions.

These issues and how they have impacted on various projects that the author has been involved with over the past 15 years will be discussed along with some innovative solutions.