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1 min read

The basics of sediment separators

What is a sediment separator and how does it work? Where and why is it used? Find out the key facts in a nutshell in our brief guide.

A room containing a washbasin, the drainage pipe from which runs through a floor-mounted sediment separator. Inside, there are three stages; the waste water becomes cleaner as it passes from one stage to the next.
Multi-chamber sediment separators offer particularly high separation efficiency.

Simple yet effective: components of a sediment separator

A sediment separator separates wastewater contaminated with soil, sand and/or sludge from the sediments it contains. Essentially, it is a large-capacity tank, the interior of which may be divided into several chambers. 

What happens inside a sediment separator?

Sediment separators work on the principle of gravity: due to the difference in density between water and sediment, the materials separate naturally within the separation tank.

Schematic diagram of a sediment separator, into the first chamber of which wastewater flows and coarse sediments settle.

Wastewater discharge

The contaminated wastewater is fed into the sediment separator, where the flow is largely stabilised.

A schematic diagram of a sediment separator, into whose second chamber wastewater flows and where sediment settles.

sludge build-up

In a settling tank, substances that are heavier than water sink to the bottom and settle there.

A schematic diagram of a sediment separator, through whose chambers water flows and eventually runs off cleanly from the drain. Wastewater flows into its second chamber, where sediment settles.

Repeat

If the separator has several chambers, the water flows into the next chamber, where it is separated from the sediment once again.

A medical assistant working at a washbasin.

Why you need a sediment separator

You must use a sediment separator if your wastewater contains large quantities of soil, sand and/or sludge. This applies, for example, if you dispose of plaster waste via the drainage system of your surgical, orthopaedic or dental practice, or if you run a school where clay is used in craft lessons. If you do not treat your wastewater in such cases, damage to drainage fixtures and blockages are likely to occur.

About sediment separators

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