Comprehensive removal of suspended sediment — from coarse grit and sand to fine silt and colloidal clay — across the full particle-size spectrum, engineered to protect downstream plant and meet discharge consent.
Engineered removal of grit, sand, silt and colloidal solids across the full particle-size spectrum.
High-rate inclined-plate settling for a large effective area in a compact footprint.
Protecting downstream plant from abrasive grit and sand.
Suspended sediment drives abrasion, siltation, turbidity and regulatory non-compliance
Sand and grit erode pumps, valves and pipework, shortening equipment life and raising maintenance requirement if not removed early.
Settling solids accumulate in tanks, channels and reservoirs, eroding hydraulic capacity and treatment performance over time.
Suspended solids raise turbidity above discharge limits, shield pathogens from disinfection and foul membranes downstream.
Removal technology is selected by particle size and settling behaviour
Coarse, dense inorganic particles with high settling velocity, removed by grit chambers and hydrocyclones.
Intermediate particles that settle slowly under gravity, captured by sedimentation and lamella clarification.
Charge-stabilised particles that will not settle unaided and require coagulation before clarification or filtration.
For discrete particles in the laminar regime, settling velocity follows Stokes' law: vs = g(ρp − ρw)d² / 18&mu. Velocity scales with the square of particle diameter and with the density difference, which is why coarse grit drops out in seconds while colloidal clay (d < 2 µm) is effectively non-settling and must first be aggregated by coagulation.
Complementary stages, each tuned to a band of the particle-size spectrum
Bar screens and grit chambers remove debris and abrasive grit as a protective first stage.
Gravity clarifiers and inclined-plate (lamella) units settle silt and coagulated floc at high rate.
Dissolved air flotation and media or membrane filtration polish fine and low-density solids the settlers leave behind.
In-depth scientific guides to the challenges, methods and compliance of sediment removal
Settling-velocity-based design of grit chambers, aerated and vortex units and hydrocyclones to capture abrasive inorganic particles.
View GuideType I to IV settling, surface overflow rate, Hazen theory and lamella high-rate clarification for suspended-solids removal.
View GuideTSS and turbidity limits, SDI for membrane feed, monitoring methods and construction sediment-control regulation.
View GuideSediment removal is verified against numeric consent and downstream feed specifications
Consents cap total suspended solids and turbidity; the train is sized to the limit, its averaging basis and a margin for variability.
Silt Density Index and turbidity targets protect downstream RO and UF membranes from particulate fouling.
Online turbidity and proportional sampling provide continuous, auditable evidence of compliant discharge.
Reynolds & Bauhm engineers sediment-removal trains from grit chambers to colloidal polishing, matched to your particle-size distribution and discharge consent.
Our expertise spans multiple industries with sector-specific water treatment solutions.