Every aspect of our wastewater tank cleaning technology has been customized to solve some of the most challenging operational problems the Southeast's water and wastewater community faces.

• Sand and grit removal
• Sludge removal and handling 
• Vegetation removal
• Total tank cleanout
• Filter media cleaning and replacement
• Debris removal from sand and aggregate washing facilities
• Concrete thickening tank facilities
• Crushed rock fines removal or recovery
• Sand recovery from lagoons and ponds   

We offer all of these services to wastewater treatment plants and private and industrial clients throughout the entire Southeast USA. Many of our services are available nationwide. 

Benefits

• Improve effluent quality
• Increase efficiency and capacity
• Extend equipment lifetimes
• A tax-deductible maintenance expense

We get grit out of just about anything!

In addition to wastewater treatment tanks we can also remove solids from:

• Connecting canals between lakes to open up passing zones for boat passage or from land-locked canals in housing areas.
• Boat slips or docking areas where boat activity is restricted due to sand build-up.
• Flooded storm water collection boxes where the water cannot be drained.
• Quilted or concrete bottom ponds or basins.
• Algae sludge can be removed from the bottom of lined or quilted ponds without damaging the expensive liner or pond bottom without draining.
• Lime removal or most any other debris from water storage tanks.

We can often do this in situations where access is limited (or inaccessible) with conventional dredging systems, as well as when the process cannot be drained or turned off.

Sand Dragon - How it Works

Watch this short video to see how our unique Sand Dragon system can work so well in removing debris accumulated in your tanks or throughout your entire treatment plant without the need to take your critical processes offline to remove it.

Watch a Video showing how the Sand Dragon Works

We offer a wide range of tank cleaning services for wastewater treatment plants in the southeast US. Founded in Florida with over 35 years experience, our technology can remove sand and grit while the plant remains operational and while tanks remain filled.

Our hand operated process protects delicate submerged equipment and allows us to feel around it underwater to capture all of the grit. Our heavy equipment can be located far away from tanks that need to be cleaned via extension hoses to virtually any distance from the tanks that need cleaned. This can allow us to essentially operate off-site to reduce noise or roadway access issues if needed. Our systems are flexible enough to clean many of the deepest tanks out there that other cleaning processes just can't reach. We’ve operated over half mile away from the tanks that needed cleaning and have the capability to go even further.

Types of tanks and wastewater processes we service

• Holding tanks and basins 
• Equalization basins 
• Trickling filters
• Aeration basin cleaning
• Fine or fixed air diffuser system cleaning
• Anoxic basin cleaning
• Surge tank cleaning
• Oxidation ditch cleaning 
• Nitrification tank cleaning 
• Anaerobic digester cleaning 
• Clarifier cleaning (primary clarifiers, secondary clarifiers, tertiary clarifiers) 
• Chlorine contact chamber cleaning
• Filter cell cleaning, filter media removal & replacement
• Deep lift stations and wet well cleaning
• Lined or quilted pond cleaning
• Wastewater tank cleaning
• Lift station cleaning
• Wastewater pond or lagoon cleaning
• Water storage tank lime removal
• Wastewater rag removal
• Wastewater tank rehabilitation and repair
• Channel cleaning
• Decentralized and remote wastewater treatment facilities

We can remove just about any type of solid materials you want out of nearly any wastewater process you've got, often without the need to drain or shut down any of your treatment processes. 

Sand and grit removal

Sand and grit is the leading cause of problems in wastewater treatment facilities. Excess sand and grit robs tank volume and efficiency, while raising operational costs due to higher electrical consumption, increased use of chemicals, premature wear and equipment failure on blowers, pumps, diffusers and internal piping.

We can remove sand and grit without emptying the tank in most cases, in a timely and efficient manner that will return the water and biomass to the tank. We can help keep your facility running at peak efficiency without having to drain the tank and interrupt daily operations.

Total tank cleanout

 Prepare for Demolition, Inspection, Sand Blasting, Painting, or Recoating

We can help with transferring liquid from one tank to another, or helping pump down tanks using various pumps from 2” diaphragm or trash pumps, to 4” hydraulic pumps capable of pumping 800 gal/min, to 4” to 6” diesel driven pumps. We can also remove all the remaining contents: sand, grit, rags, etc., after the water has been drained.

We offer a number of services to prepare for water tank demolition, inspection, sand blasting, painting, refurbishing, or installing new equipment such as:

• Pressure-washing and sanitizing both the inside and outside of tank
• Pressure-washing and sanitizing internal piping
• Pickling of lines

Vegetation removal

We can remove overgrown vegetation, duckweed, small trees, and bushes from various tanks or ponds at your facility. Overgrowth can be unsightly, reduce efficiency, impair access, and reduce functionality.

Quarry and aggregate / concrete production wastewater services

Mining, crushing, and washing rock generates a tremendous amount of wastewater that quarries, aggregate producers, and concrete suppliers have to deal with. In many cases this wastewater needs to be treated with expensive treatment processes to reduce suspended solids and lower (or raise) the pH before it can be discharged into the environment. A significant amount of valuable byproduct material can also be lost as waste. Settled Solids Management can help! We can recover sand and smaller aggregate material from rock crushing wash operations to reclaim this otherwise wasted byproduct and recycle it back into your production line. We can remove sand, concrete fines and smaller rocks from concrete wastewater holding and washing tanks to increase capacity. We produce dried solids that are much easier to recycle back into production facilities, and much cheaper to dispose of. In many cases, we can provide these services without the need to stop your operations.

• Debris removal in groundwater monitoring wells to prep for downhole camera inspection or measurement
• Seasonal dewatering services and sediment removal for quarries, sand pits, lagoons, ponds and water holding facilities
• Aggregate and sand removal from concrete washwater while the washing plant remains online
• Solid & debris removal to reduce coagulant and flocculent dependency (and costs) in chemical treatment processes   

Wastewater filter media cleaning and replacement

We can remove old filter media from any single or multi-layer filter media system. Single layer filter media can be recycled on site. This means removing, cleaning and returning existing media, and no need for total replacement of costly filter media.

With multi-layer systems, we can extract the filter media and deposit it into trucks for final disposal. We can also replace your filter media to bring the filter back to the original filter performance specifications.

Emergency services

We can help with emergency services due to torrential rains, hurricanes, tropical storms or flooding causing heavy flows, internal pipe breakage, clogged lines, tank leakage, overflow, or other unplanned time-sensitive issues. We provide prioritized emergency service, in the form of sand and grit removal or pumping down or transferring liquids or water to keep your facility in compliance.

Wastewater rag removal services

Flushable wipes, rags, and strings are a significant problem for wastewater treatment facilities. While fine screening can prevent most rags from entering your treatment plant, even the finest screening system will not stop all of them. Rags wrap around equipment and cause all kinds of maintenance problems while also reducing the volume capacity and overall performance of any part of your operation where rags accumulate. Settled Solids Management's proprietary technology is the only effective solution to remove rags without draining your tanks and allows your treatment plant to remain fully operational.