JASPERS Solid Waste and Energy Division

Staff Working Papers

Sustainable Sewage Sludge Management

Jonas Byström, Radu Rautu, Magnus Emanuelsson
March 2010

JASPERS Staff Working Papers are prepared by JASPERS experts with the aim of facilitating the
discussions with counterparts in the context of their different assignments, mostly in terms of project
scoping and applicable criteria and methodology. These papers normally originate as part of the
assessment of a specific project, in which case the version published here is edited to be made non-
project and non-country specific and therefore easily applicable to other projects in the sector. This
particular paper deals with sustainable management of sewage sludge.

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JASPERS Staff Working Papers Sustainable Sewage Sludge Management
Solid Waste and Energy Division J. Byström, R. Radu, M. Emanuelsson, March 2010

Sustainable Sewage Sludge Management

Table of Contents

1 Introduction........................................................................................................................................2
2 Sewage sludge..................................................................................................................................2
3 Treatment of sewage sludge.............................................................................................................3
3.1 Treatment objectives ...................................................................................................................3
3.2 Treatment options........................................................................................................................4
4 Use/disposal of sewage sludge.........................................................................................................5
5 Sludge handling practices in EU .......................................................................................................7
6 Regulatory framework .......................................................................................................................7
6.1 EU Acquis....................................................................................................................................7
6.2 National legislation ......................................................................................................................8
7 Developing a sustainable sludge management strategy ..................................................................8

1 Introduction
Increasing sludge amounts, related to implementing of stringent environmental standards and the
building of new sewage treatment plants, is resulting in that sewage sludge handling is becoming an
increasingly challenging and sensitive issue in many new Member States. A complicating factor is that
the quality of the sludge, which often is largely outside the control of the water utility, has a direct
impact on the ways the sludge can be managed.

This paper provides in the first part general information on sludge characteristics and different options
for treatment, use and disposal. The second part outlines an approach for preparing a sludge
management strategy. The document is intended to facilitate discussions and evaluations of sludge
treatment/use/disposal options and elaborations of sludge treatment strategies. Since sludge is a
biodegradable material that can be co-treated with biodegradable waste types from different sources,
both a waste water and solid waste management perspective is adopted.

The document contains indicative technical data and figures from general references which should be
verified during the planning and feasibility study stage.

2 Sewage sludge
Primary, secondary and to some extent tertiary treatment of municipal waste water generates sludge,
together often referred to as raw sewage sludge, with 1-4% dry solids (DS). Sewage sludge is a
combination of removed suspended particles, aggregations of dead bacteria and by-products of the
bacterial breakdown of organic material in the wastewater.

The sludge generated in primary treatment is referred to as primary sludge, while biological excess
sludge is generated in secondary treatment and chemical sludge in tertiary treatment.

The unit generation rate of sludge is approximately 15-25 kg DS/cap/year. Raw sludge from treatment
plants with only primary and secondary treatment generates sludge with 1-5% DS at a unit generation
rate of about 10-15 kg DS/cap/year.

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In deciding a strategy for management of sewage sludge it is necessary to consider its content of
nutrients, organic constituents, heavy metals and pathogens.

Nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphor, are important constituents in sewage sludge. In raw
sewage sludge the nitrogen content is often about 4-5 g/kg DS and the phosphor content 2-3 g/kg DS,
which is comparable to the content in animal manure.

Organic constituents, which during degradation, e.g. in a landfill, generate green house gases and
contribute to leachate formation, can also be a valuable source of organic matter in lean soils.

Heavy metals in sludge originate from industrial effluents, reflecting the level of end-of pipe treatment
before discharge to the waste water system; from households, where heavy metals can originate from
detergents, paint and different kinds of chemical used in cleaning; and finally from storm water.

Pathogens found in sludge are bacteria, viruses, fungi and yeast, parasitic worms and protozoa.
These organisms can cause various medical conditions in humans and animals, ranging from simple
digestion troubles to lethal infections.

3 Treatment of sewage sludge

3.1 Treatment objectives
Treatment objectives for sewage sludge are:
• Dewatering, (to reduce amounts) to facilitate transport and treatment of the sludge
• Hygienisation to reduce the risks for transfer of pathogens in the sludge
• Stabilisation to reduce the organic content and related emissions and odour associated with
biological degradation and increased dewatering characteristics.

Dewatering is practiced to reduce the water content of the sludge and thereby facilitate its transport
and treatability. Inorganic additives (e.g. lime or iron salts) or organic additives (polymers) can be
added to the sludge to improve the efficiency of the dewatering process. A summary of different
dewatering methods and their efficiency is given in Table 1. The first three dewatering methods in the
table are most common in modern waste water treatment plants, while drying beds still are common in
old treatment plants in EU-12 prior to landfill or dumpsite disposal. Drying beds are also used in
smaller WWTP and in combination with growing of reed plants.

Table 1 Sludge dewatering methods

Dewatering method Efficiency (%DS) Effects on sludge
Centrifuges 20-35 loss of nitrogen
Belt presses 15-25 loss of nitrogen
Chamber filter presses 30-40 loss of nitrogen
Sludge drying 85-90 Reduction in pathogens and loss of nitrogen
Sludge drying beds 25-35 Reduction in pathogens and loss of nitrogen
Dewatering is sometimes preceded by a pre-thickening stage carried out in e.g. gravity or mechanical
thickeners. The dewatering result and the choice of equipment are very much dependent on the
sludge characteristics.

Hygienisation can be achieved in methods where process temperatures reaches above 70oC for at
least 1 hour, or where the pH is raised above 12, e.g. with lime. Aerobic treatment (composting)
generally can achieve hygienisation of sludge assuming sufficient temperatures are obtained
throughout the compost pile, as do thermal treatment. For other treatment methods heating above
70 oC for at least 1 hour is required.

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Stabilisation can be carried out aerobically (aerobic stabilisation or composting), anaerobically

(anaerobic digestion) discussed further below, thermally or chemically (addition of hydrated lime and
related rise of pH and temperature). The use of stabilisation before dewatering at a WWTP also has
the purpose to reduce the sludge amounts and improve the dewatering characteristics).

3.2 Treatment options

There are a number of different options for treatment of sewage sludge, as discussed below and
summarised in Appendix A.

Aerobic digestion involves agitating the sludge with air or oxygen in order to enable aerobic
degradation of organic material. The process decreases the solids content, improves the dewatering
characteristics, reduces odours and decreases the content of pathogens. Some loss of nitrogen can
occur after dewatering due to transformation of organic nitrogen to ammonia-nitrogen. Due to the
aeration, the process has a high energy cost.

Anaerobic digestion of sludge takes between 15 and 60 days, and can be carried out at
temperatures varying between 30 and 60oC and water contents varying between 3 and 8% DS. The
process produces:
i) A semi-solid output (digestate) that can be composted and used as soil conditioner (phosphor
and trace elements). Through the digestion, the organic matter is reduced with about 30% (40-
50% of the degradable volatile solids, VS). The digestate is also easier to dewater than raw
sludge. This together with the reduction of organic matter reduces the quantity of the raw
sludge up to 50%. If the digestate is dewatered, most of the nitrogen will be lost.
ii) A liquid output with a high content of ammonia nitrogen due to the reduction of organic
nitrogen that can be used a fertiliser, thus enabling beneficial use of the nitrogen in the sludge.
and
iii) A methane rich biogas produced at a rate of approximately 1 m3 of biogas per kg of reduced
VS. The biogas can be used for process and building heating purposes, for electricity
generation, or as car fuel. 1m3 of biogas is equal to 1 l of diesel if the gas is upgraded to
natural gas standard. The process reduces the pathogen content depending on retention time
and temperature. Anaerobic digestion of sludge is commonly carried out at as a means to
stabilise the sludge at waste water treatment plants. Sludge is also co-digested with other
organic waste from households or industry. Anaerobic digestion is also used for production of
methane gas from agriculture residuals and crops, and co-digestion with sewage sludge is
common.

Composting of dewatered sludge together with a bulking agent, e.g. saw dust, chopped garden waste
etc. results in a volume reduction of the sludge, reduces odours, decreases the organic content, and
eliminates most of the pathogens because of the relatively high temperatures achieved. The process
decreases the plant nutrient value of the end product, which still has some fertilising properties as well
as value as soil conditioner. The process generates heat, up to 70 oC, which contributes to decrease
of pathogens in the sludge.

In order to enable composting of sewage sludge, it should be dewatered so that the resulting moisture
content of the mix is between 40-60%.

Sludge can also be composted together with organic waste. A mixing ratio for food waste and sludge
of 3:1 by weight has been reported.

Thermal drying is carried out either with direct or indirect heat transfer to different levels of moisture
content. The required energy input ranges from about 30 kWh/t DM for partial drying (35% DS) to 50
kWh/t DM for total drying (95% DS). Care must be taken when storing dried sludge since it can self-
ignite. Drying with solar energy, often in some form of green house with automatic turning/aeration
equipment, is an energy efficient form of thermal drying.

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Chemical treatment involves adding chemicals, often lime, to raise the pH above 12 to kill the micro-
organisms in the sludge and thereby stop biodegradation and reducing hygienic risks. The pH should
be maintained above 12 for at least 2 hours maintaining at least 55oC, or for at least three months.
The lime mixing and related raised pH results in that heavy metals are made less mobile. On the other
hand, loss of nitrogen due to volatilisation of ammonia can occur.

It is usually recommended to add about 30% of lime to the dry mass of sludge to ensure the desired
effects. This results in increasing sludge amounts.

4 Use/disposal of sewage sludge

Land spreading on agricultural or forest land seeks to beneficially reuse the nutrient and organic
content in the sewage sludge for the benefits of e.g. crops. Sewage sludge can, to a certain extent,
substitute inorganic fertilizers, and is less prone to leaching or run-off than inorganic fertilizers.
Furthermore, sewage sludge can be a valuable source of organic matter to counter the loss on
intensively cultivated soils. As such, land spreading of treated sewage sludge is often considered the
most sustainable of the sludge management options.

However, in addition to the beneficial nutrients and organic material, the receiving soils also are
exposed to pathogens and pollutants inherent in the sludge. Therefore, there are strict regulations on
e.g. the heavy metal content of sewage sludge spread on agricultural areas1. Furthermore,
consideration must be given to the nutrient uptake potential of crops, so as to avoid nutrient loss to
recipients. There are also restrictions on grazing and harvesting on land subject to sewage sludge
spreading. The demand from farmers is susceptible to the customers and retailers perceptions, and
there are seasonal variations in the demand.

When sludge is used for land spreading, care should always be taken to prevent any form of adverse
environmental impact on soil or crops. It is often necessary to consider the following factors:
• to limit plant uptake of heavy metals, the pH should be maintained at a sufficiently high level
• sludge should not be spread on soils with too low pH, on water saturated, flooded, frozen or
snow covered ground
• due to its seasonal demand, there is a need for storage capacity at treatment plants or farms
during the cold season.
• access to fields should be selected after consultation with the highway authority and special
care must be taken to prevent vehicles carrying mud onto the highway
• odour control is the most important environmental dimension of sludge application to land
• great care is needed to prevent sludge running off onto roads or adjacent land, depending on
topography, soil and weather conditions.
• contamination of land, air and water resources by the pathogens in the sludge is always a
possibility, despite putting in place all relevant precautions.

1
Directive 86/278/ECC provides the following concentrations limits in sewage sludge for use in
agriculture (mg/kg DM): Pb: 750-1,200, Cd: 20-40, Cr: 1,000-1,500, Cu: 1,000-1,500, Ni: 300-400, Hg:
16-25, Zn: 2,500-4,000

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Sludge can also be spread at low DS through injection into the soil or liquid surface spreading.
However, to facilitate transport the sludge is often dewatered to at least 20% DS and applied on the
surface of the soil in a manner similar to manure. Depending on quality it is also important to cultivate
the sludge down in to the soil.

The limiting factor setting maximum loading rates of sludge per unit area of treated land will in most
cases be nutrients, although metal contaminants can also be a limiting factor. For fresh sludge
nitrogen will often be the limiting nutrient but aged sludge are more likely to be limited by phosphorus.
Considering these factors there are examples of countries that regulate e.g. the average annual
sludge quantity applied, the interval of sludge application, and the maximum single application
quantity, but it is also advisable to consult agronomists to determine site specific rates for agricultural
applications.

Infrastructure projects, and land reclamation with sewage sludge is an option, especially for
derelict land, or land subject to soil erosion or desertification and for use in rehabilitation at
infrastructure projects such as roads, railways etc . Rehabilitation of mining areas or contaminated
sites is another similar application. The sludge should be stabilised to avoid problems with degrading
organic material.

Landfill disposal forfeits the nutrient content in the sludge, it adds a source of organics for generation
of green house gases and highly polluting organic rich leachate, and it consumes valuable landfill
space required for waste that can not be recycled or recovered.

Due to the high water content and slow draining the sludge can not be disposed together with other
wastes in the normal procedure for disposal of waste. Special disposal procedures are needed, e.g. by
spreading the sludge in thin layers that are mixed with waste that can absorb the water or by mixing
the sludge with sand or other waste types in specially designed equipment prior to disposal. If these
approaches are not considered, the sludge can create stability problems in the landfill. In Germany
landfill disposal is allowed for sludge with a minimum 35% DM.

Use of stabilised sludge as Landfill cover for intermediate and/or final cover of the waste is preferable
to just landfill disposal since it will replace other cover materials and not result in a need for additional
landfill capacity. If used as intermediate cover it is important to allow sufficient time to drain the sludge
before new waste layers are placed on the top. Stabilised sludge can also be used in rehabilitation of
old landfills and dumpsites. For use as landfill cover, the sewage sludge should be dewatered and
mixed with suitable soil to achieve a material with suitable strength and vegetative properties.

Incineration of sewage sludge reduces the volume, completely destroys pathogens, decomposes
most organic material and offer the option to recover the heat value of the sludge. Dried sludge has a
calorific ranging between 9-12 MJ/kg. The ash content of sludge is comparably high (20-50% by
weight DS). Since most trace metals are concentrated in the bottom ash it might require landfilling, in
some cases in hazardous waste landfills. Furthermore, the nutrient value of sludge is lost in
incineration, and the process releases volatile pollutants which require sophisticated emission control
systems.

Sludge can be incinerated either in dedicated incinerators, often of fluidised bed type, or together with
municipal solid waste (MSW) in grate fired incinerators. The mixing ratios of sewage sludge and MSW
depend on the water content and organic content of the sludge and the calorific value of the MSW.
Co-incineration of MSW and sludge with >25% DS is generally possible with sludge ratios <10%.
Auto-combustion of sludge in dedicated incinerators requires dewatering to minimum 35% DS. In co-
fired municipal waste incinerators, energy is generally recovered in the form of electricity, heat or both.
In dedicated sludge incinerators, energy is often only recovered for internal use purposes.

Co-incineration of sludge in power plants and cement kilns is another option. Here the sludge is
usually dried to at least 85% DS implying high pre-treatment costs. When used in cement kilns, the
sludge feed should usually be no more than 5% of the clinker production capacity. Even though there
are some references on this approach, this is not a very common solution, and there are examples of
operational problems related to feeding mechanisms and furnace technology.

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5 Sludge handling practices in EU

The table below presents data from 2005 on handling sludge in some different EU countries.

Table 2 Sewage sludge production and handling in 2005 (Dry solids, million kg)

Total sludge Agricultural

Country Compost etc. Landfill Incineration Others
production use

Bulgaria 41.8 0 0% 0.1 0% 23.3 56% 0 0% 18.3 44%

Czech Republic 171.9 34.5 20% 88.8 52% 12 7% 0 0% 36.6 21%
Ireland 59.8 45.5 76% 2 3% 10.3 17% 0 0% 2 3%
Poland 486.1 66 14% 27.4 6% 150.7 31% 6.3 1% 235.8 49%
Romania 67.8 0.7 1% 4.7 7% 55.9 82% 0 0% 6.6 10%
Slovakia 56.4 10.2 18% 28.9 51% 8.5 15% 0 0% 8.7 15%
Slovenia 16.8 0.1 1% 0.1 1% 9.4 56% 0 0% 7.2 43%
Spain 1120.6 726.3 65% 0 0% 163.2 15% 77.8 7% 153.3 14%
United Kingdom 1770.7 1221 69% 13.5 1% 96 5% 281.9 16% 158.1 9%

Source: Eurostat

The table shows that there are marked variations in how sludge is handled in both EU-15 and EU-12
countries. The table shows that in 2005 the level of agricultural use was higher in some EU-15
countries than in the listed EU-12 countries where landfill disposal dominated. Composting of sewage
sludge was common in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

6 Regulatory framework
6.1 EU Acquis
The Urban waste water treatment directive (91/271/EC) states that sludge arising from waste water
treatment shall be re-used whenever appropriate, and furthermore that disposal routes shall minimize
the adverse effects on the environment.

The Directive on the use of sludge in agriculture (86/278/EEC) states that the quality of the soil
and agricultural products must not be impaired by landspreading of sewage sludge. The Directive
furthermore provides limits for heavy metals in sludge and in soil, and it mandates monitoring and
record keeping of the use of sludge in agriculture.

The Waste framework directive (2006/12/EC) gives, in principle preference for recycling over energy
recovery if environmentally sound.

The Landfill directive (1999/31/EC) introduces targets for diversion of biodegradable municipal waste
from landfills. However, since sewage sludge is not considered a municipal biodegradable waste and
should not be included in the 1995 benchmark, it is not considered in the attainment of the targets.
However, since sewage sludge is biodegradable and it contributes to the generation of landfill gas and
leachate generation, disposal of sewage sludge should anyway be minimised.

In addition to the legislation in force, DG Environment published the 3rd draft of a Working Document
on Sludge in April 2000. With a view to maintain or increase the rate of recycling of nutrients and
organic matter contained in the sludge, the document states that sludge should be used on land
whenever possible and when there is an agronomic need or the quality of soil can be improved. The
document thus expands the scope for use of sludge in other land applications than agricultural. Sludge
should not be used in forests but may be allowed in plantations and for re-forestation. The document
states that use of sludge should be carried out in such a way as to minimise the associated risks, and

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the document provides limit values for heavy metals and organic compounds, obligations for treatment
of sludge before use, and conditions for use on land.

DG Environment is now re-evaluating the need for a new Sludge Directive, which might be integrated
with a possible new Biowaste directive.

6.2 National legislation

While the EU regulatory framework should have been fully transposed, national legislation can contain
policies or targets that go beyond or differ from EU policies and targets. It is therefore necessary to
make an inventory of and fully consider national legislation, targets and guidelines for the
management of sludge and biodegradable waste in the process of formulating a strategy.

7 Developing a sustainable sludge management strategy

A sustainable sludge management strategy can be defined as a cost-efficient approach to manage
sludge in a manner that is environmentally friendly, addresses the actual concerns and needs of the
affected society and communities (social acceptability and responsibility), promotes efficient
recycling/recovery of nutrients and organic substances in the sludge, while ensuring that harmful
substances are not transferred to humans and/or environment.

The steps involved in developing a sustainable sludge management strategy are listed below:
• Control and monitoring of industrial waste water discharge
• Determining planning framework
• Review current sludge management and production
• Predict future sludge and biodegradable waste production
• Review current sludge legislation
• Identify and evaluate sludge treatment options
• Formulate a sustainable sludge management strategy

It is essential that the public, regulating authorities and other stakeholders have an adequate
appreciation of the issues affecting how sludge is managed and can contribute to, and support the
approach to finding the most appropriate solution to the management of sludge.

Control and monitoring of wastewater discharge

Controlling and monitoring discharges to the sewer system that could negatively affect the quality of
the sludge is an important up-stream aspect in a sludge treatment strategy. By minimising non-pre
treated industrial discharges to the sewer network, the level of contaminants that affect the sludge
quality, notably heavy metals, can be kept at levels where they do not limit options for beneficial use of
the sludge.

Water companies should have targets and plans to reduce the heavy metals concentrations or other
pollutants in their strategic environmental documents.

An important aspect in this control is that water companies should develop and establish a connection
policy for their sewer network. This policy should define regulation and demands to connect to a public
sewer network. The policy has to be in line with national regulation but it is vital for the control and
follow up of all discharge into the sewer network and if possibly to issue fines or closing of connections
if not complying with policy. In the policy maximum values for different parameters, among others
heavy metals should be presented.

The main industries should be monitored regularly and results be reported to the environmental
authorities. Information to households is also an important part to reduce the content of “unwanted”

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pollutants in the sludge. Information campaigns should be implemented on national, regional and local
levels.

Planning framework
An important step in preparing a sludge management strategy is to establish the planning framework,
i.e. the planning area, planning time frame, and the target waste streams, e.g. sludge only or possibly
also biodegradable waste from different sources

Since some sludge treatment options are sensitive to economies of scale, it is recommended to
consider a sufficiently large planning area if required comprising more than one wastewater treatment
plant.. This would also facilitate integration of sludge management with management of biodegradable
waste, which often is addressed on a regional level.

Review current sludge production and management

Determining and assessing current sludge production and management is an important aspect of the
planning framework. An inventory should be carried out of the waste water treatment and sludge
generation at all facilities where the wastewater treatment is compliant with the requirements (i.e.
UWWTD) and in non-complying facilities. Relevant information to be collected and compiled includes
design capacity and current capacity in terms of the approximate input in litres/day of combined
household (domestic) and industrial wastewater and the quantity of dry solids generated, in
tonnes/day.

A summary of current sludge handling and disposal or utilisation should be produced, to include the
following, as an example:

Stabilisation Hygienisation Dewatering Disposal/use

WW Treatment
Type/amount of Approach used and Approach used and Approach used and Target facility/area
sludge produced output produced output produced output produced and t/day
(t/day and %DS) (t/day and %DS) (t/day and %DS) disposed/used

Predict future sludge and biodegradable waste production

Based on the inventory of the current sludge production and information about future changes in the
waste water flow and treatment steps, there is a need to predict the future amount and type/quality of
sludge, and possibly biodegradable waste that will be produced in the planning region during the
agreed planning period. This data will form the basis for assessing the applicability of different sludge
management options.

Review current and future changes in sludge legislation

National as well as EU relevant legislation and policies in the field of sludge and biodegradable waste
management should be analysed. Legislative requirements and standards that will affect the choice of
management options must be identified.

The identified sludge types should be classified according to the following parameters:
• Microbiological quality of the sewage sludge
• Pathogen content
• Physical characterisation of the sewage sludge
• Chemical quality of the sewage sludge

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Identify and evaluate different sludge handling options

Considering the data and information collected and analysed as indicated above, there is a need to
identify those sludge treatment and disposal/use options that are most appropriate in the local context,
i.e. those options that are believed most appropriate considering regulatory compliance, applicability,
practicability, affordability, sustainability and acceptability in a local context. Important parameters are
also the space requirement in relation to available land area and the energy balance of different
options. Relevant in the affordability context is not only the CAPEX/OPEX of different treatment
options, but also the transport distance and cost, something which also factors in when assessing the
overall environmental impact and complies with the Proximity Principle. The economic analysis
forming part of the multi criteria analysis is addressed in a separate section below.

An important factor to consider, as have been highlighted in preceding sections, is that an integrated
approach to waste and natural resources management advocated in EU policies is relevant also in
sewage sludge management. The waste hierarchy, which gives priority to recycling and recovery over
disposal is valid also in the field of sludge management. When identifying optional sludge
management approaches efforts should be made to view sewage sludge as a resource rather than as
waste to be disposed. This would favour options where the nutrient and organic content can put to
beneficial use.

Treatment and use/disposal options - Appropriate and applicable options should be identified for
the treatment, i.e. dewatering, hygienisation and stabilisation of sludge, and the disposal and use of
the sludge.

In identifying appropriate options the following should be considered in the following order:
1. If the sludge quality meets relevant EU and national requirements and guidelines and if
accepted by farmers, spreading of sludge on agricultural or forest areas is often regarded as
the most appropriate option for sludge use.
2. Applications where the sludge is used as a fill or cover material, such as at road constructions
or for landfill cover, or as fill material used for rehabilitation of contaminated land or depleted
soils generally compare well with other use/disposal options, unless transport costs are
prohibitive.
3. If no management option allowing beneficial use of the sludge is deemed appropriate and
applicable, possibilities to co-treat the sludge at existing or planned treatment facilities, e.g.
anaerobic digestion or composting facilities, municipal waste incineration plants or cement kilns
should be considered.

Appendix A contains some parameters that can be utilised in comparing and evaluating the different
sludge management options.

Land spreading promotion – In order to promote land spreading as an option for sludge use, the
following measures can be considered:
• setting up of guarantee funds or insurance system in order to cover any losses, damages or
other costs related to the use of sludge in agriculture
• establish special organisations/companies that can assist with marketing of sludge use in
agriculture. The company can also advice farmers on sludge charges, assist with transports and
spreading to guarantee appropriate charges. Such a company could also incorporate an
insurance component as described in the previous point. This approach is practiced in some
regions in Germany.
• promoting research and dissemination of the results on the effects on environment and health of
agricultural use of sludge
• developing quality labels to enable users to identify high-quality sludge, thus improving the
image of sewage sludge itself

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• Establishing a national organisation for certification of sludge. This organisation should include
representatives from the main stakeholders, as from agriculture, food companies, water
companies and authorities. This organisation should put up goals for the sludge so it could be
accepted by all stakeholders and to secure the use of the organic mater from the city on
farmland in a safe way. To achieve a certification the water company has to prove a long term
and quality secured work on handling of their sludge

Definition of scenarios – The selected options should be combined in sludge management scenarios
incorporating options for treatment and use/disposal of sludge, and where applicable also sludge
quality management measures.

Economic Analysis
As a base for formulating the sludge management strategy, the identified sludge management
scenarios should be evaluated and compared from costs and benefits point of view in an economic
analysis.

The total costs are mainly composed of investment and operating costs of sludge treatment and
use/disposal. However, the quantifiable environmental impacts (external costs) should also be
considered since they can make a difference as regards routes whose internal costs are similar.

Not only direct revenues, such as from sale of electricity, compost etc. but also indirect benefits from
e.g. reduced visual disamenities, odours and health risks, reduced emission of green house gases etc.
which should be quantified and monetised.

The preferable scenario is that which has the lowest economic NPV over the planning period, which
equals the life time of the facilities.

Formulate a sustainable sludge management strategy

A sustainable sludge management strategy should be formulated based on the preferred sludge
management scenario.

The strategy should cover the following:

• Background, applicable guidelines, statutory requirements;
• Sludge production and classification;
• Present sludge operations and processes;
• Present facilities and their condition.
• The needs for infrastructure improvements;
• New facilities to be constructed;
• Priorities of regional systems;
• Sludge disposal/use.
• Costs and financing.
• Institutional/organisational set-up for new systems/facilities

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 JASPERS Staff Working Papers Sustainable Sewage Sludge Management
Solid Waste and Energy Division J. Byström, R. Radu, M. Emanuelsson, March 2010

Appendix A Comparison of different management options for sewage sludge

Management De- Pre-treatment/ Technical Operational Emission Nutrient Energy Pollutant Transport Costs
option watering additives complexity complexity control recovery recovery transfer

Pre-treatment
Anaerobic digestion No No Complex/proven Complex/proven Yes, basic Yes Yes To digestate On site Medium
Co-digestion No Waste/manure Complex/proven Complex/proven Yes, basic Yes Yes To digestate Possibly Medium
Composting Yes Structure material Basic Basic No Yes No To compost Possibly Medium
Thermal drying Yes No Complex/proven Complex/proven No No No To sludge On site High
Final use / disposal
Land spreading DS > 20% Possibly Basic Basic No Yes No To soil Yes Low
stabilisation
Landfill disposal DS > 35% No Basic Could impact operations No No No To leachate Yes Low
Landfill cover Yes Possibly soil Basic Basic No No No To leachate Yes Low
Incineration DS > 35% No Complex/proven Complex/proven Yes, complex No Possibly To slag/ashes Possibly High
Co-incineration DS > 25% Waste/coal Complex Could impact operations Possibly No Possibly To slag/ashes Yes Medium

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Appendix B References

Disposal and Recycling Routes for Sewage Sludge, Synthesis Report, Arthur Andersen, 22 February
2002

Draft Discussion Document for the Ad Hoc Meeting on Biowastes and Sludge, 15-16 January 2004,
Brussels, DG.ENV.A.2/LM

Session 3 Technology and innovative options related to sludge management, Proceedings from
conference on Problems around Sludge, 18-19 Nov. 1999, Siresa, Italy

Working Document on Sludge, 3rd Draft, DG ENV.E.3.LM, 27 April 2000

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