How to Solve Sewage Lagoon Dredging Problems Faster, Safer, and Cheaper with Polymer Solidification

If you manage a municipal wastewater lagoon, industrial settling pond, or agricultural manure lagoon, you already know the pain points: excessive hauling costs, constant free liquids that fail landfill tests, and the risk of damaging lagoon liners during cleanouts. Traditional “fixes” like sawdust or lime often make matters worse—bulking the waste, adding weight, and introducing new safety and compliance risks.

As a lagoon dredging specialist, I'll walk you through a proven, field-tested path that aligns with best practices for lagoon maintenance and the latest polymer solidification technology.

What's really driving your cost and risk

You're paying to haul water: Typical dredged slurry is 85–95% water. Moving it as liquid means more trips, more fuel, and bigger invoices.

Landfill rejection: Free liquid fails the EPA Paint Filter Liquids Test (PFLT, Method 9095B). Loads get turned away or require onsite rework.

Bulking agents backfire: Sawdust, wood chips, or corn cobs can increase volume by 100–200%, doubling your truckloads and disposal fees.

Liner damage risk: Lime/cement are heavy, shift pH, and generate heat (exothermic reactions) that can compromise HDPE or clay liners.

A better approach: Polymer solidification with SLUSORB

SOCO's SLUSORB polymer is engineered specifically for water-based sludges, including high-salt lagoon sludge. Unlike bulk absorbents that simply “soak,” SLUSORB rapidly cross-links water, locking in moisture and turning liquid slurry into a shovel-ready, stackable solid.

Key performance advantages

Instant solidification: Reaches a transportable, paint-filter-passing state in minutes (often 15–30 minutes after mixing).

Ultra-low dosage: ~0.5–1.5% by weight for most lagoon sludges—versus 50–100% for sawdust.

Negligible volume gain: Typically <1% volume increase, so you’re not paying to haul extra air or added bulking material.

Liner-safe chemistry: Non-corrosive, no heat generation, and no extreme pH shift—protects clay and HDPE liners.

Landfill-ready: Engineered to pass the EPA 9095B Paint Filter Test; supports compliance and smooth tipping.

How the workflow looks in the field

1) Dredge or pump: Move lagoon sediments to a mixing zone or dose in situ during hydraulic dredging.

2) Dose and mix: Add SLUSORB at 0.5–1.0% typical dosage; simple agitation is sufficient—no centrifuge or belt press required.

3) Verify and haul: Within minutes to hours, free liquid is immobilized. Material passes PFLT and is ready for standard dump trucks.

Why this matters for your budget and schedule

Fewer trips: Solidified material can go in standard dump trucks instead of vacuum tankers, cutting per-mile costs and turnaround times.

Lower disposal costs: Minimal volume increase and landfill acceptance (PFLT compliance) reduce fees and headaches.

Less equipment, less labor: No sprawling dewatering trains or weeks of curing—faster demobilization and reduced site disturbance.

Resilience and safety: No exotherm, no corrosives, fewer moving parts, safer around liners and site personnel.

Where polymer solidification fits best

Mechanical dredging: Immediate solidification of thick, high-solids sludge from bucket/suction operations.

Hydraulic dredging: Inline dosing as slurry is pumped to geotextile tubes or a containment area.

Dewatering bags: Combine polymer dosing to accelerate water removal and improve bag stability.

Emergency response: Rapid immobilization of spills to prevent off-site migration and environmental harm.

Beneficial reuse paths: Create a soil-like, stackable material suitable for certain restoration or backfill contexts per local regulations.