Dewatering of Dredged Sediment by Natural Solutions

Dewatering of dredged sediment often relies on chemicals and heavy machinery, which increase fossil fuel use and emissions [1]. Traditional sediment dewatering methods only worsen the financial and environmental burdens associated with sediment management. When the slurry eventually dries at dewatering fields, it is perceived that the biological quality of the resulting sediment does not meet the standards of healthy soil, meaning it is rarely reused. It is also important to note that none of the existing commercial dewatering methods improve the environmental quality of the final product; they only address its physical properties.

Over the past decade, more nature friendly innovative methods have been developed [2]. These methods use only endemic fauna and flora to significantly accelerate the dewatering process for various types of slurry. Additionally, the treated final product resembles closely biological properties of soil. Soil is a valuable resource, which would otherwise need to source it from the commercial soil market, a process that is both expensive and environmentally harmful due to operations-related emissions.