Solidification of Hydro-excavation Waste Fluid With SAPs

Safe and accurate, hydro-excavation has become the most preferred method for digging, daylighting, and potholing in many industrial sectors in recent decades. While the benefits of hydro-excavation are undeniable, the process generates large volumes of mud and slurry waste that must be managed, in order to avoid environmental risks. Superabsorbent polymers (SAP) offer an easy, safe, and efficient tool for eliminating free liquid in hydro-excavation waste fluid so that the waste can pass the EPA paint filter test, be transported and disposed in a Subtitle D landfill as solid waste.

Following accumulation of a large volume of hydro-excavation fluid waste, which was increased by an unusually large rainfall, a major North American hydro-excavation services provider contacted Zappa-Stewart to assist with reducing liquid waste treatment costs. The Zappa team developed a custom SAP treatment process that demonstrated full solidification of the high-liquid slurry in 20 minutes, using a standard track-mounted excavator.

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Approximately 1,200 gallons of the hydro-excavation mud slurry was solidified with 100 lb of granular ZapZorb SAP, a dosage rate of approximately 1% (by weight).   SAP offered an opportunity for the end user to reduce solidification reagent quantity by 90% and reagent costs by 50%.   Please see Cost Calculator for additional cost savings that were realized by selecting superabsorbent polymer for fluid waste solidification.