The Sludge Gun® Online Brochure

For operators at municipal and industrial water & wastewater treatment plants, The Sludge Gun®, a handheld sludge blanket interface level detector from Markland Specialty Engineering, is a welcome addition to their toolbox. This compact, weatherproof device measures silt/sludge levels in clarifiers, settlement tanks, sedimentation basins, lagoons and ponds, and helps provide valuable sludge/biosolids level profiles. It allows users to monitor sludge bed depth for regulatory compliance and prevention of carryover, and to eliminate unnecessary dredging and pumping. The operator slowly lowers the Markland Sludge Gun® probe into the tank/pond and pulls the trigger to shine a beam of high-intensity infrared light across a gap in the probe to a matching phototransistor sensor. When the beam encounters suspended solids, some energy is absorbed, causing the phototransistor to activate a rear-facing speaker on the butt of the gun. As the concentration of suspended solids increases, the audible tone changes in pitch and volume. By observing depth markers on the cable, the user determines the location of both sludge blanket and overlying cloudy layer.  A thumb-adjustable sensitivity control allows the user to detect suspended solids concentrations ranging from light flocs to thick blankets. In addition, features are uniquely suited for specific applications. For example, Model 10-LP detects clear liquid surfaces; high-power Model 10-HP excels at finding the level of sludge in murky lagoons. The spring-loaded trigger turns off the gun, preventing accidental drain on the battery. No calibration is required.