Guidelines for Wet Muck Out
THE WET MUCK OUT/HYBRID SYSTEM
v) Sludge Drying Unit
The purpose of a sludge drying unit is to remove the water from the aeration tank's settled sludge so that it may be more easily handled and disposed of.
Sludge from the aeration tank is approximately 98% water. There are many types of sludge drying techniques such as heated evaporation, natural drainage and evaporation, and mechanical dewatering. Suppliers should be able to recommend the most appropriate system for each individual farm and provide technical advice on the operation and maintenance aspects.
One of the simplest and more economical means of achieving sludge drying is natural drainage and evaporation. This requires a drying bed of sand with an underdrainage system. In general, there should be at least 0.15m2 of drying bed area per porker if a full wet muck out system is used. Less drying bed area will be required for a hybrid system, the exact size depending on the effectiveness of the dry muck out operation. The drained water should be returned to the reception tank and the dried sludge properly contained and disposed of in accordance with the Code of Practice for Livestock Waste Management.
