Operational and economic considerations of using a belt press for dewatering soil washed from sugarbeets.

Introduction In 1995, the Minn-Dak's stockholders voted to increase their beet acreage from 76,000 to 100,000 as well as expand the plant capacity. It was clear that the existing mud ponds were not sufficient to handle the added mud after expansion. Up until that time, Minn­ Dak personnel had operated two mud ponds. They pumped the dirt washed from the beets to a mud pond for dewatering. After a time, Minn-Dak personnel pumped the decanted water to the wastewater treatment system It took up to thirty days for the dirt to settle enough to allow pumping. Odors from the mud ponds were nuisances in both the fall and spring. In addition, because it took about to dewatering, spring wastewater treatment was postponed one month exacerbating the odor problem.