On-site dewatering that reduces volume, cost and carbon.

Qualitech Environmental Services delivers fast, compliant, and cost-effective dewatering across the UK. By separating liquids from solids on site, we drastically reduce waste volume, haulage, and disposal costs—while keeping your operation safe, clean, and compliant. Our mobile solutions include filter press dewatering D:MAX screening and classification for grit/rag removal, and polymer dosing with safe filtrate return. From lagoons and settlement ponds to digester tanks and interceptor pits, we mobilise quickly and keep downtime to a minimum.

How Dewatering & Sludge Removal Cut Cost, Time and Carbon

Qualitech’s on-site dewatering separates liquids from solids to create a dry, easy-to-handle cake. By shrinking sludge volume at source, we slash haulage and disposal costs, reduce downtime, and lower your project’s carbon footprint.

Depending on the waste stream, we combine D:MAX screening (to remove grit, rag and oversize) with a high-throughput mobile filter press and optional polymer dosing for optimal solids capture. The filtrate is returned to process or managed in line with permits, while the dry cake is transferred for compliant reuse or disposal.

This approach is ideal for construction dewatering, lagoons and settlement ponds, digesters, interceptors, bunds and tank cleaning projects. The result: fewer tanker movements, faster turnarounds, and a cleaner, safer site.

Typical Dewatering Applications

  • Lagoons, settlement ponds & clarifiers
  • Digester tanks & wastewater sludges
  • Interceptor pits, bunds & catchment tanks
  • Silt/grit removal prior to maintenance or decommissioning
  • Tank cleaning projects alongside DISAB uplift
  • Significant reduction in sludge volume and transport costs
  • On-site treatment: less disruption, faster turnaround
  • D:MAX pre-screening to remove grit, rag and oversize solids
  • Dry, stackable filter-cake; filtrate returned or routed safely
  • Compliant handling of hazardous & non-hazardous sludges
  • Nationwide coverage & rapid mobilisation

The reason we are able to take construction dewatering, sludge dewatering, sludge removal services and lagoon sludge removal up to the next level is the fact we have the largest mobile filter press in Europe. It means we are well-equipped to take on the biggest dewatering contracts in the UK.

This giant press makes us a class leader in the industry and works by separating the sludge liquids and solids using pressure filtration with the slurry pumped into the filter press and then dewatered under pressure.

This means that no job is too big for us to handle which includes both large-scale construction dewatering or lagoon sludge removal by our well-trained, experienced, staff using highly specialised equipment.

We are also experts at the smaller jobs including both tank sludge cleaning and tank sludge removal.

Our dewatering process is so highly efficient that waste sludges can be converted into a dry filter-cake which can often be recycled, massively cutting down on waste disposal and transport costs.

It's pointless paying the high costs of transporting sludge-free liquid for disposal when it can often be easily reused on-site. The end result is that many of our customers reduce sludge waste and cut costs at the same time. Often the sludge cake we produce is so hard it can even be used as aggregate.

If businesses try to remove the sludge themselves it could end up costing them a fortune in terms of time, transport and disposal costs.

It's impossible for industries not to create waste which must be dealt with to meet health and safety legislation yet many companies simply aren't equipped to deal with it. That's why it's best to rely on Qualitech's dewatering and sludge removal expertise which leaves many of our customers amazed at how cost-effective and environmentally-friendly it can be.

We will thoroughly inspect the site first to assess ground conditions and any potential problems caused by such things as surface water, water levels and water flows. As part of this process we’ll take a sample of the sludge away for testing so we know exactly what we are dealing with and the best way to dewater it, along with the cost and the time it will take. It’s vital we are absolutely sure the sludge can be filtered before we start the dewatering process.

Qualitech staff will then draw up a disposal plan to fit in with our clients’ needs, how the business operates and its working hours to ensure any disruption is kept to an absolute minimum with the process carried out as quickly and efficiently as possible. No two businesses are the same so every plan we draw up has to be bespoke to reflect the clients’ particular needs.

So, for peace of mind knowing you have the right experts in the right place at the right time rely on Qualitech Environmental Service’s enviable experience to ensure that construction dewatering, sludge dewatering, sludge removal services, lagoon sludge removal, tank sludge cleaning and tank sludge removal is all done to the top specification every time.

Looking for more Industrial Services?

To Enquire about our industrial cleaning services, please contact a member of our award winning friendly team today.

Contact Us

Northern Tel: 01942 277 277

Southern Tel: 01633 252 642

N East Tel: 01429 279831

industrial cleaning services

Talk to the Dewatering Experts

Dewatering is one of many specialised environmental services delivered by Qualitech Environmental Services — alongside D:MAX screening, DISAB vacuum recovery, and industrial tank cleaning.

For more information or to discuss your project, call our Northern office on 01942 277 277 or request a free quote online.

Discover our advanced mobile filter press technology — one of the largest units in Europe, designed for rapid on-site deployment and exceptional sludge volume reduction.

Dewatering – Frequently Asked Questions

Dewatering separates liquids from solids to create a dry, stackable cake. It reduces waste volume, transport, and disposal costs while making maintenance safer and faster.

Municipal and industrial sludges including lagoon silt, digester sludge, interceptor waste and tank residues. We handle hazardous and non-hazardous streams in line with UK regulations.

Yes — D:MAX removes grit, rag and oversize solids to improve dewatering efficiency and protect downstream equipment.

Filtrate is returned to process or managed compliantly. The dewatered cake is transferred for reuse or disposal depending on its classification.

We operate nationwide with rapid mobilisation. Call 01942 277 277 or request a quote for availability.