Drying Bed

Drying beds are either planted or unplanted sealed shallow ponds filled with several drainage layers and designed for the separation of the solid from the liquid fraction of (faecal) sludge from latrines, septic tanks, biogas reactors, trickling filters, etc. Sludge is dried naturally by a combination of percolation and evaporation and evapotranspiration. When drying beds are covered with plants, evaporation is enhanced by transpiration (evapotranspiration). See also planted drying beds and unplanted drying bed.