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Statistical analysis in Geotextile Tube semi-performance Test for sludge dewatering generated in Water Treatment Plants

Nowadays there is a concern related to the dewatering and final disposal of sludge generated at the water treatment plant (WTP). In this context, the geotextile tube appears as a solution, standing out for offering a series of technical and economic advantages, due to its ease of operation. The main objective of this work is to analyze sludge dewatering from a Water Treatment Plant (WTP), using 0.5×0.5m geotextile tubes made in woven geotextile. The statistical analysis was performed using the response surface methodology through a central composite design, where the independent variables analyzed were the initial concentration of Total Solids (TS) of the sludge and the polymer dosing. The dependent variables (or responses) obtained were the performance indices of dewatering (turbidity of the effluent, the final concentration of solids within the geotextile tube and percent dewatered (PD)). Graphs of response surfaces and polynomial models that establish the relationship between the dependent and independent variables are presented. A maximum final solids content of 47.9% was observed in the combination of 1.7 mgPol/gTS and initial TS of 12.1 g/L.