Frequently Asked Questions

Both options are effective at dewatering sludge from a wastewater pond or lagoon.  Belt presses require more maintenance and operating costs but can produce dewatered sludge ready for immediate disposal.  The footprint required for belt presses can be much less than dewatering tubes.  Dewatering tubes are effective and economical options to dewater and temporarily store sludge on-site.  The selection of either process may be limited to your project’s budget, access, and timeline. 

Dry topdressing sand can be delivered in pneumatic tankers and stored in a silo.  Dry sand works easily into the turf canopy and spreads evenly through a topdresser.  River Sand, Inc. can dry topdressing sand and deliver it in bulk either dumped or in a pneumatic tanker.

White sand has traditionally been the emphasis of some premier golf course.  However, around the country and world that has not been the case.  Locally sourced sands can come in a variety of colors that may offer a more natural look or less glare.  River Sand, Inc. supplies bunker sands to golf courses in brilliant white to the darkest brown color.

Dredging can be an involved process that takes time and money.  Most owners that ask, “how do I dredge a pond myself?”, end up with a lot of work and not much to show for it.  The alternatives to dredging usually revolve around aiding the decomposition of organic matter with biological or nutrient treatments.  If your pond contains a high percentage of organic materials (i.e. leaves, pine needles, manure) these methods may help decompose some of the sediment.  Aeration is another tool that has developed to help keep the same portion of organic sediment with oxygen to speed the decomposition process.  Sterile carp can help eliminate some of the aquatic weeds associated with too much sediment.  Armoring the banks upstream and stabilizing the streambanks can help prevent sediment from incoming into your pond.  However, once dirt (non-organic sediment) has entered a pond it is not going to be broken down with chemical, biological, or aeration treatments.  The dirt must be removed at some time. 

Dredging can benefit your golf course in many ways including:

• Increase water storage for irrigation and droughts
• Clean irrigation intakes from sediment
• Improve aesthetics on the golf course
• Control nuisance aquatic weeds

Prevent flooding (along with subsequent days closed)

Dredging lakes provides numerous benefits for the environment, property owners, and other stakeholders in the watershed:

• Restores water depth (lowers water temperature and improves dissolved oxygen)
• Increases storage quantity (hydropower, stormwater detention)
• Improves water quality (removes excessive nutrients)
• Recreational activities restored (safer boating, skiing, boat docks)
• Better navigation (safety and passage)
• Removes pollution (contaminants and other trash)
• Improves aquatic habitat (removing fine sediment that covers spawning areas)
• Increases water front property values
• Aesthetic improvement

Extensive green roof top gardens offer a shallower depth for planting media.  Intensive green roofs support deeper rooted plants such as grasses, flowers, shrubs, and even trees.  Agricultural or farming can be another blend of soil with more nutrient availability for crops. 

In Atlanta and the surrounding areas of Georgia, there are a lot of types of gravel available.  However, the most common types of gravel are as follows:

• #89s – small pebbles
• #57s – quarter to golf ball sized gravel, common on driveways and french drains
• #4s – larger gravel used for construction entrances and new roads
• GAB or Crusher Run – mixture of sand and gravel, common on driveways, roads, and roadbase

Mechanical and hydraulic dredging are the two main types of dredging methods.  Mechanical dredging is the removal of sediment with the use of a bucket, usually with an excavator.  Draglines and clamshells are the other types of mechanical dredging methods.  Hydraulic dredging involves a barge with a pump that vacuums sediment from beneath the water’s surface and pumps it through a pipeline to a different location.  Both are effective in certain applications.

Sludge can be tested for approval for land application or landfill disposal.  Some sludges can be used for soil amendments as well.  Sludges have been incinerated for disposal and even rarely as a feedstock for energy production.