Concrete Wastewater Treatment
Concrete production generates heavy volumes of slurry, washout water, and process water; materials that require reliable treatment to stay compliant and avoid costly disposal fees. That's why ALAR designs concrete wastewater treatment systems that let you bring the process in-house, giving you clear water, manageable solids, and peace of mind. Built for the toughest concrete slurry dewatering and wash water treatment demands, our systems help you stay compliant while keeping costs under control.
With over 50 years of hands-on experience, ALAR builds wastewater treatment equipment tailored to your site conditions and process demands. Whether you’re clarifying silty slurry, separating cement fines, or taming batch plant washouts, we have a scalable, effective solution ready for you. We don’t expect you to know exactly what system you need; that’s our job. Our technical staff will work directly with you to assess your needs, recommend the right equipment, and conduct pilot testing to ensure performance.
Contact ALAR today to discuss your concrete wastewater challenges and schedule a pilot test to determine the right solution for your operation.
The Importance of Concrete Wastewater Treatment
Managing wastewater from concrete operations is critical to meeting strict discharge regulations and avoiding costly penalties. A common goal is sustainability by reducing disposal costs and water usage while promoting recycling water and solids, aiming for zero discharge.
In many cases, reclaiming aggregates, filtering out cement fines, and recycling water is the most efficient way to meet these standards.
Regulatory Compliance
Discharge permits set clear limits on pH and TSS levels, with additional oversight for pigments, high-specific-gravity particles, and other contaminants. ALAR concrete wastewater treatment systems are designed to meet these requirements, producing clear water suitable for compliant discharge or reuse.
Cost Efficiency
Settling ponds, pits, and basic pH adjustment are common wastewater management methods, but they can be restricted by space, weather, and maintenance demands. Our systems reduce hauling and dredging costs while integrating with mechanical reclaimers and existing washout equipment for a more efficient, long-term solution.
Types of Concrete Wastewater Treatment
Concrete wastewater varies in composition, requiring tailored methods to manage solids, adjust pH, and clarify water. ALAR manufactures integrated solutions that can be scaled for batch treatment processes.
Concrete Slurry Dewatering
Slurry dewatering removes solids from wastewater, producing clear, reusable water and dry filter cake for easier disposal. ALAR equipment handles cement fines, pigments, and high-specific-gravity solids without clogging.
Auto-Vac™ Rotary Vacuum Drum Filter
The Auto-Vac™ is the only self-cleaning, non-clogging rotary vacuum drum filter in the industry. It removes cement fines and color, producing 1.0 specific gravity, colorless water and exceptionally dry solids.
- Ideal for precast and ready mix producers handling high return rates and pigmented mixes.
- Available in sixteen filter sizes for nearly any slurry volume.
- Handles variable flow rates and solids loading without interruption
Sludge Settling Clarifier & Micro-Klean™ Filter Press
This combination system produces a clean effluent by separating liquid from settling solids in the clarifier, then pumping concentrated sludge to the Micro-Klean™ plate-and-frame press for dewatering.
- Clarifier removes heavy solids by gravity settling for clear discharge water.
- Micro-Klean™ filter press creates dense, landfill-ready filter cakes.
Well-suited for block and brick applications using cured concrete solids that won’t blind filter cloths.
Chemical Pretreatment
Chemical pretreatment conditions the wastewater before mechanical filtration, helping to neutralize pH, coagulate fine particles, and remove contaminants that mechanical methods alone cannot address. ALAR offers a full range of treatment chemicals for concrete wastewater, including flocculants, coagulants, and pH adjustment agents.
Acids for pH Neutralization
Acid solutions are metered into high-alkaline wastewater to bring pH into the required range for compliant discharge or safe reuse.
Wash Water Management
Managing wash water from mixer cleaning, truck washouts, and equipment rinsing is essential to keeping contaminants out of drains and meeting discharge regulations. ALAR designs systems that integrate with existing reclaimers or operate as standalone solutions for processing wash water streams.
Clar-O-Floc™ Lamella Clarifier
The Clar-O-Floc™ Lamella Clarifier separates solids from water through inclined plate settling before sending concentrated sludge to dewatering equipment.
pH Neutralization System
Our pH Neutralization System automates pH monitoring and adjustment, ensuring consistent compliance with minimal operator oversight.
Common Concrete Wastewater Treatment Applications
ALAR systems support a wide variety of concrete industry processes.
Ready Mix Concrete
Treats truck washout water and slurry from batch plants, reducing hauling costs and enabling water reuse.
Concrete Block
Removes pigments, sand, and cement fines from production wastewater for compliance and recycling.
Brick & Stone
Manages solids from cutting, shaping, and pigment use, producing clear discharge water.
Concrete Pipe
Processes slurry and wash water from pipe casting and finishing.
Structural & Architectural Precast Concrete
Handles high-solids wastewater from molds, forming, and finishing.
Additional Applications
- Concrete Core Drilling
- Concrete Pigments/Color
- Hydro Demolition
- Roofing Tile
- Sawing/Grinding/Grooving/Polishing
- Concrete Slurry Mix
Frequently Asked Questions About Concrete Wastewater Treatment
Concrete wastewater treatment often raises technical and operational questions. These FAQs address common concerns and provide insight into how ALAR systems can help keep your operation compliant, efficient, and cost-effective.
The most effective approach combines mechanical separation with chemical conditioning. This process removes suspended solids, adjusts pH, and produces water that meets discharge or reuse standards.
Yes. Many operations reuse treated water for batching, cleaning, or dust control, reducing fresh water consumption and wastewater disposal costs.
Maintenance needs depend on the system type. ALAR’s designs prioritize self-cleaning functions, simplified filter changeouts, and easy chemical replenishment to reduce downtime.
ALAR has redefined water recycling equipment for the concrete industry.
The Auto-Vac™ is a rotary vacuum drum filter that removes cement fines and color from concrete waste, yielding 1.0 specific gravity colorless water and exceptionally dry solids. It is the only self-cleaning filter (non-clogging) on the market. This is ALAR’s flagship model that works best for precast and ready mix producers dealing high return rates, color, and high strength concrete.
The Auto-Vac™ is best for activated concrete; available in sixteen filter sizes for virtually any volume of concrete slurry water.
The Sludge Settling Clarifier & Micro-Klean™ is an easy to operate combination system that removes solids from water and produces a clean effluent.
The Clarifier produces a clear effluent through the separation of liquid from settling solids. Concentrated heavy solids “sink” to the bottom of the clarifier and are pumped to a dewatering filter.
The Micro-Klean™ plate-n-frame dewatering filter press is primarily used in block and brick operations. It is excellent for cured concrete applications where the solids will not blind the filter cloths.
ALAR Provides Wastewater Solutions for Concrete Industries:
Ready Mix Concrete Wastewater Filtration, Treatment and Recycling
Precast Concrete Wastewater Filtration, Treatment and Recycling
Concrete Block Water Filtration and Recycling
Concrete Roofing Tile and Iron Oxide Pigment Wastewater Filtration, Treatment and Recycling
Brick & Stone Veneer Wastewater Filtration, Treatment and Recycling
Concrete Sawing/Grinding/Grooving/Polishing Wastewater Filtration, Treatment and Recycling
Concrete Core Drilling Water Filtration and Recycling
Concrete Pipe Wastewater Filtration, Treatment and Recycling
Concrete Color Pigment Process Wastewater Filtration, Treatment and Recycling
Hydro Demolition Concrete Slurry Water Filtration and Recycling
...Along with many other industrial concrete washout applications
ALAR® Auto-Vac Cement Fines Filter & Water Recycling System
General sequence of operation
The Auto-Vac™ is a self-cleaning dewatering filter that separates water from cement fines, generating 1-micron clean, recyclable water; and producing dry, manageable solids for easy transport or reuse.
The Auto-Vac™ is not a rock and sand reclaimer; rocks, heavy sand, and slugs of fiber should be removed prior to filtration.
On average, the Auto-Vac™ will operate within a six-hour batch. Variances in cement fines and solids buildup [SG] in the water will influence the Auto-Vac® filtration rates.
After successfully reclaiming the rock & aggregate, the slurry-water (containing active concrete cement fines) is pumped into an agitated holding tank. The objective is to keep the solids in suspension and not let the active concrete settle/ set in the tank. The slurry-water is pumped from the mixing tank to the ALAR® Auto-Vac™.
(If Necessary) Prior to reaching the ALAR system, a metered amount of polymer is injected into the filter feed line and blended with the slurry through a series of in-line 90o “injection” feed pipes. The polymer increases the micron size of the cement fines; allowing for faster filtration, cleaner effluent, drier solids, and conserves diatomaceous earth (the consumable filter media used during the Auto-Vac™ operation).
The polymer-treated slurry water feeds into the ALAR® Auto-Vac™ filter system. The suspended solids accumulate on the surface of the filter drum and 1-micron clean water is vacuumed through the diatomaceous earth filter media. A variable speed knife advances, removing the solids from the drum surface with lathe-like precision; leaving a clean layer of filter media to capture more fines.
The filtered water is pumped into a non-potable clean water tank for reuse in the batch, reclaiming, and washout process; depending upon the company’s QA requirements.
The dewatered, filtered cement fines are easily collected for transport off site or potential reuse. The dry solids will have the consistency of damp sand.
As an added benefit, the Auto-Vac™ filter can be occasionally run when the batch plant is not in operation to clean the tank or weir bottom(s), yard and runoff water.
Ready Mix Washout (Cement Fines Slurry Water)
NOTE: Remove Rocks/ Aggregate, Heavy Sand, and Fibers prior to Filtration
Estimated Filtration Time = 6 Hours (One Batch)
One Yard Returned Concrete Yields Approximately 675 Lbs. Cement Fines
| Auto-Vac® |
Average Total |
Average Total |
Average Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model |
Return Yards Capacity Per 6 Hour Filter Time |
Pounds of Fines Capacity Per 6 Hour Filter Time |
US Gallon Capacity Per 6 Hour Filter Time |
| AV220 | 4 | 2,700 | 1,000 - 1,500 |
| AV230 | 6 | 4,000 | 1,500 - 2,000 |
| AV330 | 9 | 6,000 | 2,000 - 3,000 |
| AV340 | 12 | 8100 | 3,000 - 4,500 |
| AV360 | 18 | 12,000 | 4,500 - 7,000 |
| AV640 | 24 | 16,200 | 7,000 - 9,500 |
| AV650 | 30 | 20,250 | 9,500 - 11,500 |
| AV660 | 36 | 24,300 | 11,500 - 14,200 |
| AV690 | 54 | 36,450 | 14,200 - 21,400 |
ALAR designs each system to meet the customer's build-to specifications. ALAR begins with stock layouts, and customizes the auxiliary equipment according to the customer's specifications.
These stock layouts are available in PDF format. Contact ALAR for more information.
Case Studies
Spragues’ Closed Loop Recycling Equipment
California’s Spragues’ Ready Mix (SRM) has deployed the first closed-loop recycling equipment combination of its kind.
Dynamic Concrete’s Indoor Washout Recycling Facility
Dynamic Concrete, out of Calgary, is recognized as western Canada’s largest concrete pumping and finishing company
