Geotextile bags are a great technology to dewater freshwater or saltwater effluent discharged from your production facility. For integrated systems the bag can create a liquid and solid component for plant production.
Contact AED to discuss the different options available with the technology and see how it could best be used at your facility.
Step-by-Step Use of Geotextile Bags to Dewater Effluent
1. Effluent Collection
- Effluent from settling tanks, drum filters, or sludge cones is pumped into the geotextile bag.
- The slurry typically contains 1–2% solids by volume.
2. Polymer Addition (Optional but Effective)
- Coagulants or flocculants are added to bind fine particles into larger aggregates.
- This improves retention and speeds up dewatering.
3. Filtration & Dewatering
- The geotextile fabric allows water to pass through while trapping solids.
- As water escapes, solids concentrate inside the bag, forming a dense sludge.
- A “filter cake” forms on the inner surface, enhancing filtration efficiency over time.
4. Drying & Volume Reduction
- Over several weeks, solids content can increase from <2% to over 30–45%.
- This drastically reduces the volume of waste, making transport and disposal more economical.
5. Final Disposal or Reuse
- Dewatered solids can be composted, land-applied, or disposed of according to local regulations.
- The filtrate (cleaned water) can be reused or safely discharged.
