Hydraulic Collection and Disposal of Refuse

A concept for residential refuse management is examined that calls for individual household refuse grinders, dilute slurry transport of ground refuse in the existing sanitary sewer system, and joint treatment of refuse and sewage at an expanded treatment facility that includes anaerobic digestion for methane generation. Hydraulic transport of ground refuse in existing sewer systems may be feasible only if both metals and glass are excluded, and a conventional collection of the nongrindable and bulky constituents of residential refuse will still be needed. The total 1973 cost of such a wet system is estimated at between –110 and –200 per household per year, of which –80-–105 is for grinding. This compares to a total cost for sewage and refuse collection and disposal under existing concepts of –40-–115 per household per year. If the cost of the grinder is excluded (individuals would purchase grinders), the 1973 wet system costs to the public sector would be on the order of –30-–90.