The drying off of mud by the “Geotube” method is efficient. The application of this technology enabled to reduce the area used for storing mud from 27.7 to 3.65 hectares. The emissions of toxic gases (hydrogen sulphate) from the surface of a hectare decreased from 0.530 to 0.085 tonnes a year, while of methane from 5 to 3.6 tonnes a year, SA Apa-Canal Chisinau said in a communiqué, quoted by IPN.

According to the water supplier, the utilization of the “Geotube” method provides also other advantages such as the use of mud in agriculture as fertilizer and the lack of human contact with the toxic atmosphere of the mud drying areas. The mud processed with flocculent dries up easily and the period needed to transform it into fertilizer without unpleasant smell is reduced.

Specialists of Apa-Canal Chisinau are carrying out investigations with a view to improving the “Geotube” technology. The project to intensify the mud drying process by using special sacks called geotubes started to be implemented in Chisinau in 2008. Until then the mud was dried on open platforms.