<br>
Operators of Human-Powered or small-scale [[Motorized Emptying and Transport | Motorized Sludge Emptying Equipment ]] (see C.2 and C.3) discharge the sludge at a local transfer station rather than illegally dumping it or travelling to discharge it at a remote treatment or disposal site. When the transfer station is full, a vacuum truck empties the contents and takes the sludge to a suitable treatment facility. Municipalities or sewerage authorities may charge for permits to dump at the transfer station to offset the costs of operating and maintaining the facility. In urban settings, transfer stations have to be carefully located, otherwise odours could become a nuisance, especially, if they are not well maintained.
===Design Considerations===
A transfer station consists of a parking place for vacuum trucks or sludge carts, a connection point for discharge hoses, and a storage tank. The dumping point should be built low enough to minimize spills when labourers manually empty their sludge carts. Additionally, the transfer station should include a vent, a trash screen to remove large debris (garbage) and a washing facility for vehicles. The holding tank must be well constructed to prevent leaching and/or surface water infiltration.
A variation is the [[Sewer Discharge Station | sewer discharge station (SDS)]], which is like a transfer station, but is directly connected to a[[Conventional Gravity Sewer | conventional gravity sewer ]] main. Sludge emptied into the SDS is released into the sewer main either directlyor at timed intervals (e.g., by pumping) to optimize the performance of the sewer and of the wastewater treatment plant, and/or reduce peak loads. Transfer stations can be equipped with digital data recording devices to track quantity, input type and origin, as well as collect data about the individuals who dump there. In this way, the operator can collect detailed information and more accurately plan and adapt to differing loads.
The system for issuing permits or charging access fees must be carefully designed so that those who most need the service are not excluded because of high costs, while still generating enough income to sustainably