Dewatering of drinking water sludge, Duffel pumping station

Antwerpse Waterwerken (AWW) has a water production centre (drinking water preparation) in Duffel. Sludge containing aluminium is released when flushing the sand filters during the preparation of drinking water. This sludge is constantly stored in a rinse water pond. Every year, Kurstjens dredges approximately 1200 tonnes of solids (TDS) from this rinse water pond using a cutter suction dredger. The sucked up sludge is mechanically dewatered with an on-site mobile decanter. The dewatered sludge cakes are transported to an end processor recognised by Kurstjens.