Scum Concentration and Treatment

[ohiowater]

Looking for some insight on the real drivers behind why an Engineer or Owner would utilize a scum concentrator as well as heating scum prior to disposal?

Is it strictly for larger plants and extreme cold weather climates? Does it have to do with the ultimate disposal: recycle to head of plant, send to digester, or dispose in a landfill with screenings/grit discharge? Are we trying to heat up the scum prior to entering an anaerobic digester to create less of a temperature shock, or are there other reasons?

Another way of asking is, what are the benefits of a scum concentrator and heating? Doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me considering the volume coming off primary and secondary clarifiers.....unless it was an unusually high volume entering a digester.

Thanks for any insight!

 

[bimr]

Scum may contain grease or oil that are solid. Heating the scum will allow you to pump the material.

Concentrating the scum will reduce the water content of the scum. The excess water content may allow the following treatment process to be overloaded.