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How do you evaporate
the wastewater? Like
boiling water on a stove, the steam rises and the minerals and food stay
in the pot. It's that easy. Dirt, heavy metals, grease, oil and other
contaminates don't evaporate. They remain in the evaporator as sludge.
How do you
clean out the sludge? First remove the turntable,
screens and chip tray (option). If the wastewater reduces by up to 95%,
the residual solid slurry will drain out of the machine through the drain
port. If you concentrate the solids until you have removed all of the
water, the sludge will be brick hard and almost impossible to remove. The
thermostat controlling evaporation shuts the machine off at the 95%
wastewater reduction level for easy cleanout.
How do I know what
size evaporator to purchase? To
properly size a Hydro-Vap™ evaporator, the daily production
of waste should be documented. The evaporator capacity should be 1.5 times
the actual daily waste stream volume. Using 1.5 times as a multiplier
accommodates periodic evaporator maintenance, clean out and inspection
within a normal shift.
Why do I have to
do an Material Stream Test? So
Hydro-Blast, Inc. can assist in the sizing and help determine the
appropriate construction materials for the wetted parts, a Material Stream
Assessment (MSA) must be done for all of your waste streams. An MSA will
characterize the waste stream with detailed information such as the
presence of heavy metals, suspended and dissolved solids, VOCs, chlorides,
etc. This information can help determine if pretreatment prior to
evaporation will be required.
Is it safe
to evaporate the wastewater?
Many waste streams are mainly water
and the list of what you can evaporate is almost endless. Some common
waste streams currently being evaporated include:
- aqueous cleaning solution
- rinse water
- water based machining coolants
- acid and caustic baths
- air compressor condensation
- floor scrubber water
- mop bucket water, etc.
Hydro-Blast, Inc. recommends that you have a
Material Stream Assessment completed on all of your waste streams before
evaporating wastewater.
Do you need a
permit to evaporate the wastewater?
The need to permit evaporators
varies from state to state and from local and county air sheds. You will
need to contact your local Air Quality Control Board to see if permitting
is necessary. A Material Stream Assessments (MSA) helps in the permitting
process if required.
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Wastewater Disposal Information
- Wash water eventually becomes too contaminated to
clean effectively. Most companies refuse to discharge this waste to
the sewer and risk the potential fines. Recycling the water is an
option. However at some point, this water cannot be recycled further
and must be disposed of properly. Evaporation is a very cost-effective
option when compared to having a commercial waste hauler dispose of
the wastewater three to five times a year.
- When waste water is disposed of through
evaporation, oil is removed from the waste water using an oil skimmer.
It is channeled to an outside reciprocal for recycling or burning in a
waste oil heater. Then the wastewater disposal system is started by
using under floor heating. The waste water boils until evaporation is
complete. This usually takes eight to twelve hours. The heaters
shut off automatically at the end of the evaporation cycle.
- The steam from evaporation is ducted outside the
building with the aid of an in-line draft inducers. This steam is no
different from the steam that escapes when you open the door at the
end of a wash cycle. It is not hazardous.
- After evaporation is complete, a small quantity
of residual solids will remain on the floor of the cabinet. This
sludge is easily removed with a wet/dry vacuum or scooped up with a
dust pan. These residual solids must be disposed of properly. A
certified laboratory can do a Toxicity Characteristic Leaching
Procedure (TCLP) on the solids to determine its contents and classify
it a s hazardous or non-hazardous waste. Traditionally the TCLP test
is a one time test and cost when cleaning like parts. Test costs vary
from $180 to $300 depending on the laboratory.
- Evaporation will reduce the weight and volume of
a waste stream by as much 95%. It will also reduce costs for on-site
training, handling, storage and disposal of hazardous wastes and the
potential fines associated with waste water spills. Evaporation is an
effective way to reduce EPA assessments from a medium generator to a
small waste generator.
- A typical diesel repair facility would usually
find that the build up in the bottom of a cabinet parts washer would
require wastewater disposal (evaporation) every three months.
Evaporation is recommended when the level of dirt at the bottom of the
cabinet parts washer reaches a depth of about one inch or the washer
is not cleaning properly.
Hazardous Waste and Toxic Reduction Program
- Several states have a hazardous waste and toxic
reduction program with specific guidelines that meet or exceed U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency requirements. As an example Technical
Information Memorandum, Number 86-3, published by the Washington State
Department of Ecology contains information and guidance on how
generators may treat their own dangerous waste(s) on-site, without
dangerous waste treatment permits. The Department of Ecology is
actively promoting treatment by generator for several reasons.
Treatment often is preferred to the disposal of a waste because it may
be more environmentally desirable and economically feasible. You
should contact your Local agency for guidelines.
- A case example for evaporation would be: Machine
shops that generate large amounts of waste water mixed with spent
caustic solution that test hazardous for lead and corrosively. By
using an evaporator these shops can reduce the quantity of their waste
in an environmentally safe manner.
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