Pond Restoration and Clean up normally focuses on effluent collection ponds for a wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) often where particulate matter (sludge) is still active.   No matter how clean the effluent of a WWTF is, small amounts of solids (TSS = total suspended solids & TDS = total dissolved solids) exit the plant in the effluent stream.   If the effluent is collected in a holding pond or RIB, solids accumulate at the bottom over time.   Accumulations cause pond capacity to shrink, percolation rates to suffer, and/or freeboard to disappear.   The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) therefore requires that ponds are maintained which includes removing solids from the bottom of the ponds as needed.   Often fines are imposed. Fine amounts differ depending on circumstances but often the amount of the fine could eliminate the problem.

Removing solids from ponds can be costly and, in some cases, impractical.   If the treatment plant only has one effuent pond, then allowing the pond to dry to clean solids out is not a practical or cost effective option.   Since water tables are high in Florida, a pond may not dry even when isolated for long periods of time.

The result is often that the pond bottoms are not cleaned or expensive dredges or suction pumps are used.  A common method of cleaning is hauling wet sludge away but is very costly.   There are options. ESI has a variety of resolutions that fit any situation.  

If ponds can be isolated, ESI has the manpower and equipment needed to clean the ponds and dispose of the accumulated sludge.   If physical methods are not an option, there are several chemical and biological products on the market, but many simply do not work; others do not work well enough to be cost efficient.

Another option is preventative… if solids could be managed as they accumulate, the overall expenditure can be cost effective. ESI has found a solution which has proven itself around the country and in other parts of the world, is safe and economical and does not have expensive distribution equipment to install. Call to discuss or look at this website for BioEnergizer products.

Lemoore Sludge Analysis