Feasibility and Efficiency of Onsite DGS Wastewater Disposal

​Diamond grinding slurry (DGS) is a waste by-product of road resurfacing and maintenance operations. The state of North Carolina currently allows land application of this slurry with a permit. However, the most common disposal method is having the slurry hauled to a press plate system where the solids are removed and used as backfill or sent to a landfill, and the water is recycled into the grinding operation. Recently, sediment basins have emerged as a way to manage DGS onsite. Research supported by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) (RP 2023-06) is currently investigating the efficiency of these basins at separating DGS. With this research, a new area of interest has emerged: the wastewater generated from the basin after settling the solids. The proposed project aims to investigate if using this wastewater on site is feasible, increasing the cost-effectiveness of the sediment basin separation. Through greenhouse and field trials, wastewater application as irrigation will be tested for its effect on vegetation establishment and growth, as well as possible impacts on soil properties and the environment. The results of this research would allow the NCDOT and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) to make informed decisions regarding the current permitting process for DGS sediment basins and the land application of the slurry or its wastewater.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $201256
• Sponsor Organizations:

  North Carolina Department of Transportation

  Research and Development
  1549 Mail Service Center
  Raleigh, NC  United States  27699-1549
• Managing Organizations:

  North Carolina Department of Transportation

  Research and Development
  1549 Mail Service Center
  Raleigh, NC  United States  27699-1549
• Project Managers:

  Kirby, John

• Performing Organizations:

  North Carolina State University, Raleigh

  College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  Department of Soil Sciences, Campus Box 7619
  Raleigh, NC  United States  27695-7619
• Principal Investigators:

  Heitman, Josh

• Start Date: 20240801
• Expected Completion Date: 20260731
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Irrigation; Recycled materials; Slurry; Wastewater
• Geographic Terms: North Carolina
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01929138
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: North Carolina Department of Transportation
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Aug 29 2024 7:27AM