Temporary Wastewater Treatment Plant at Food Manufacturer

FOOD MANUFACTURER WASTEWATER TREATMENT PROBLEM

Remtech constructed an 60,000 gpd emergency frac tank pre-treatment facility for a major food manufacturing facility when their treatment plant failed with leaking tanks, non-functional pumps and neutralization system, and a DAF air injection system that stopped working. Regulatory authorities required food manufacturing stop until a waste treatment system was operational.

FRAC TANK WASTEWATER TREATMENT SOLUTION

The temporary treatment system was brought on line in three days and completed in 15 days and was designed to operate for four months (but continued for 9 months) until the permanent plant was constructed.

Six (6) 20,000 gal frac tanks were mobilized to provide unit operations for the plant.  Raw wastewater was diverted to a primary 20,000 blending and solids screening tank.  A 60,000 gal equalization basin was constructed with three (3) 20,000 gal. frac tanks connected in parallel. Flow between tanks was spit equally providing a five hour retention time for flow and concentration equalization.  

Remtech’s FRACair Magnetic Aeration System

(Patent Pending) consisting of fifty (50) stainless micron sintered air diffuser clusters that were inserted through 20" manholes with connections consisting of 5 universal fittings and 80 pound anchoring magnets.  Sixteen (16) diffusers in each of three 20,000-gal frac tanks provided flow and concentration equalization and enough mixing to prevent settling of solids.  An existing 5 Hp rotary lobe blower (187 cfm @ 5 psi) provided adequate air to provide uniform mixing and oxygen for biological oxidization in three 21,000 gal frac tanks.

Air mixing pilot tests on four diffuser heads on 34” centers required 1.3 cfm air per head at 5 psi to produce a radius of influence of 8 ft in each tank.  Available air provided three times the air required for mixing and oxidization. Wastewater from the equalization basin flowed through a seven (7) tier 10 ft long serpentine chemical floculation/neutralization/ mixing system constructed out of four-inch schedule 80 PVC that provided a 15 second contact time for sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide and alum addition.

Chemical addition was controlled by a PID pH controller.  A new 20 micron micro bubble pump was installed to restore operation of the dissolved air floatation system that replaced the old compress air injection system. This pump replaced the existing compressor, pressure vessel, ejector, and static mixer.

FRAC TANK WASTEWATER TREATMENTCOST/BENEFITS

This temporary wastewater treatment system allowed this manufacturing facility to continue to operate and avoid a costly shut down period until the permanent treatment system was completed.