Environmental Solutions

ELPCS, CORP provides comprehensive, integrated solutions for your sludge collection & recycling needs.

A sludge is a thick, wet mixture of liquids and solids that is created during industrial or refining processes. Frequently, factories, processing plants, and oil and gas drilling operations have to remove and dispose of sludge or slurry. Sewage sludge is the solid waste product resulting from the biological breakdown of organic matter in water. Sewage sludge may contain large amounts of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa and helminths. These organisms can cause disease if they enter the environment through improper disposal methods.

Sludge can be a hazardous waste if not properly treated. Depending on the type, specific procedures exist for safe disposal. Some types of sludge are exempted from EPA regulations, so they require no treatment before being sent to landfills. These include certain types of industrial wastewater, such as those produced by upstream oil and gas industries. For compliance, these must undergo analysis before being sent to landfill. Other types of sludge are regulated under the Solid Waste Disposal Act. They must be analyzed before being disposed of.

Sludge recovered, treated, recycled or disposed of Sludge is commonly gathered by self-loading vacuum truck, tanks or boxes and hauling to the appropriate treatment and disposal facilities. Most sludge is sent to injection wells or upstream landfill sites, while some sludge can be treated and reused.