Dewatering, or the removal of water, is used in many industries to reduce their volume of waste and to convert liquid waste into solid waste for disposal. There are several common methods to do this, but our customers have realized significant cost savings by employing geotextile bags over alternative methods.
1. Cost Savings: Unlike centrifuge and belt press dewatering systems, geotextile bags do not require a large power input in order to function well. The savings on these make it a feasible solution for smaller operations.
2. Easier: Geotextile systems are fairly simple to operate: fill the bag/tube with slurry and allow gravity and pressure to dewater your waste. The high strength, permeable fabrics retain the solids and allow the water to escape. Alternative solutions like centrifuges and belt presses require a great deal of routine maintenance and a high degree of supervision by a trained operator.
3. Smaller Footprint: Geotextile dewatering solutions can be custom manufactured to fit into any footprint available. For the smallest of spaces, hanging bags typically work best. When a large volume of liquid requires dewatering but space is limited, geotextile tubes can easily be stacked, utilizing vertical square footage. Other systems do not have that capability.
4. Waste Containment: Perhaps the best feature of a geotextile dewatering solution is that once the dewatering is complete, the solids are already captured and ready for disposal. No additional cleanup is required (unless the tube is oversized and cannot safely be lifted). This is not the case with other solutions, where the solids have been deposited onto the ground and need to be moved into a waste container.
If you have a dewatering question or wish to get information on how geotextile bags can be used for your project, give a knowledgeable PacTec, Inc. sales professional a call today at 800.272.2832.
