VERIFICATION OF THE PRODUCTION OF WTP SLUDGE AS A FUNCTION OF THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF RAW WATER

Abstract

Quantifying the sludge produced in water treatment plants (WTPs) is a fundamental step to know how much of this waste is improperly released into water sources and to plan its proper final disposal. This article discusses the comparison between three empirical methods for estimating the amount of sludge generated in two WTPs with different consumption of chemical products in water treatment for the municipality of Aracaju. The research was carried out in order to verify if there were differences in the results between the years 2016 to 2019, to compare the production estimates for each WTP and to analyze the influence of variations in the qualitative parameters of raw water and the addition of chemical products. It was found that empirical equations that consider a greater number of variables are the most appropriate for WTPs where treatment is more complex, while simpler equations can be suitable for WTPs that use few chemicals.