Boston, MA – Practical Applications, Inc. (PAI), a leading environmental company, recently commissioned the chemical/biological decontamination system (chemical kill system) at the Center For Medical Science in Albany, NY.

Center For Medical Science Chemical Decontamination System Tanks

Center For Medical Science Chemical Decontamination System Control Station

Capable of treating up to 28,000 gallons of waste water per day, the system is intended to operate automatically and is a duplex system, utilizing two complete treatment tanks so there is always one tank online to receive waste water. A centralized main control panel provides system control components for both tanks. Operator interaction is limited to daily inspections and maintenance procedures. The system will automatically batch process and discharge biologically inactive waste water. A vacuum collection system will gravity drain the waste water into the system. The chemical kill system enters treatment mode once the batch tank reaches an operator specified level. The waste water is mixed with chemical reagents until the ORP and pH set points are reached. The system then maintains that set point for a specific dwell time before discharging the contents to the sewer. The tank discharge is monitored for flow and residual chlorine concentration. PAI has incorporated its expert knowledge into the system’s computerized control such that numerous parameters are monitored to provide safe operation and predictive maintenance.

PAI has been designing, building, and operating waste water treatment systems since 1994. Our systems are designed and built by operating engineers and technicians who understand that an effective system must ensure performance while remaining economical to operate and maintain.

Press Contact:
Gary Broberg
Practical Applications, Inc.
Boston, MA 617-423-5639
gbroberg@pai-online.com

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Boston, MA – Leading environmental firm Practical Applications, Inc. (PAI) has been awarded the contract to build the central wastewater treatment system for the plant expansion project at Tribe Foods, Inc., a subsidiary of Nestle, SA.

Tribe Foods Wastewater Treatment System - DAF Unit supplied by Krofta

Wastewater generated during food manufacturing operations is controlled using Dissolved Air Flotation. Designed to meet strict Massachusetts sewer discharge limits, wastewater in the system is continuously treated at 50,000 gallons per day with peak flows of 200 gallons per minute.

Composed of a 12,000 gallon equalization tank, pH Neutralization controls, coagulant and polymer dosing, rotary drum screening, and sludge dewatering, the system incorporates PAI’s automatic control package and integrated expert knowledge software to predict and prevent system upset. The system is housed in a custom-built 400 square foot packaged steel building.

PAI has been designing, building, and operating wastewater treatment systems since 1994. Our systems are designed and built by operating engineers and technicians who understand that an effective system must ensure performance while remaining economical to operate and maintain.

Is There Mercury In Your Industrial Wastewater Discharge?

This article was written by Practical Applications’ biologist Kimberly Baxter and originally appeared in the December 2005 issue of Plumbing Engineer magazine. A PDF of the article is available HERE.

Abstract

An assessment of sampling locations for three industrial wastewater effluent piping systems is presented. The assessments provided demonstrate that by installing sampling ports at the appropriate location along an effluent stream’s piping system, truly representative samples can be collected. These real and accurate results scientifically prove that a specific industrial wastewater discharge does not contain mercury levels that will trigger regulatory enforcement action.

Continue reading…

Boston, MA – Practical Applications, Inc. (PAI), a leading environmental company, has been awarded the contract to design and build the central wastewater treatment system for the new David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research At MIT. The system is designed to treat wastewater flows continuously at 215,000 GPD (gallons per day) with peak flows at 300 GPM (gallons per minute).
The system employs pH neutralization/pH adjustment to control wastewater generated from laboratory research activities. The system is designed to meet strict compliance discharge limits according to Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) sewer discharge regulations.

Koch Institute at MIT Wastewater Treatment System - Elevation View

The system comprises two 2,200-Gallon treatment tanks followed by a corrosive duty pump station. The system incorporates PAI’s proven design and safety features including our transfer free DOT chemical dispensing stations for reagents and automated alarming/reporting systems.

Koch Institute at MIT Wastewater Treatment System - Plan View

PAI has been designing, building, and operating wastewater treatment systems since 1994. Our systems are designed and built by operating engineers and technicians who understand an effective system must ensure performance while remaining economical to operate and maintain.
Download a PDF of this press release.
View the MIT Koch Institute pH Neutralization System Gallery.

MIT Brain and Cognitive Center Greywater System

Click here to download our PDF brochure of this article at our documents location.

Follow these basic to complete your next successful Greywater System Installation

Successful Greywater projects include the following elements:

1. The project has a favorable Return on Investment (ROI),
2. A wastewater stream characterization was completed,
3. Based on item two, suitable recover and storage equipment was chosen,
4. Based on item two, suitable treatment equipment and piping was chosen, and
5. The system design integrated Plumbing Code & Environmental Regulations including protection, monitoring and regulatory reporting.

Return On Investment
All Greywater projects should have a Return on investment that has a payback of less than two years.  Currently the MWRA Water and Sewer Rates Average  $9.80/HCF (updated Nov 2008, Boston MA Commercial).  A typical Greywater system costs between $50,000.00 and $100,000.00. Based on Boston commercial water and sewer rates, owners need to recycle at least 5,228 gallons of water per day for the system to have a favorable ROI.

Wastewater Stream Characterization
Typical Greywater systems recover water from sources that contain a variety of contaminants that need to be measured to ensure that downstream systems and equipment are not damaged and to prevent exposure of harmful pollutants to the end users.  At a minimum the following measurements are made from a representative stream:

a. Suspended Solids
b. Dissolved Solids
c. Organics (synthetic)
d. pH (Acidity & Alkalinity)
e. Bacteria

Once a baseline analysis is performed further sampling and analysis may be necessary to address site specific contaminants.

Recovery and Storage
Cisterns and Day Tanks need to be configured to minimize contaminant loading and to prevent code violations.  For example, cisterns can be configured to bypass the first portion of rainwater during a rain event to reduce the organic loading on the system caused by bird waste and other debris which may accumulate on the roof.  Second, mixed recovered wastewater streams cannot be discharged to the storm drain and vice versa.  It is illegal to discharge rain water to the sewer system and it is illegal to discharge industrial wastewater to the storm system.

The cistern and day tanks need to be sized appropriately to recover the maximum water amount yet minimize the tank’s footprint. Cisterns should be sized large enough to capture typical rain events and oversized to maximize a rain events’ capture.

Sample Calculation
Cistern volumes can be determined by calculating the roof top water yield for any given rainfall, shown in Equation 1 below.
Day tanks are sized based on the process feeding the Greywater System.  A day tank used to recover Reverse Osmosis Reject (RO Reject) is sized to capture the entire reject cycle.

Equation 1 : V = A2 x R x 0.90 x 7.5 gals./ ft.3
where:

V= volume of cistern (gallons)
A2= surface area roof (square feet)
R= rainfall (feet)
0.90= losses to system (no units)
7.5= conversion factor (gallons per cubic foot)

Example: one 600-gallon Cistern would provide runoff storage from a rooftop area of approximately 2150 square feet for a 0.5 inch (0.042 ft.) of rainfall.

600 gallons = 2150 ft.2 x 0.042 ft. x 0.90 x 7.5 gallons/ft.3

Treatment Equipment & Piping
Based on the wastewater stream characterization study, the Greywater may require some treatment prior to use.  Most systems employ mechanical filtration to remove the suspended dirt to protect downstream equipment such as flush valves.  The type of mechanical filtration equipment will depend on the flow rate.

Typical equipment according for flow rates is:

Multimedia Filtration Systems (flows 50gpm and higher)
Bag Filtration (flows 10gpm to 100gpm)
Cartridge Filtration (flows less than 15gpm)

If needed, treatment to remove or protect the Greywater may include; Bleach, Ozone, or UV Light. The choice is site/wastestream dependent.

Piping planned and installed in new construction projects is critical to meeting the ROI budget as it is almost impossible to retrofit an existing building with separate Greywater Systems.

Regulations require that mixed wastewater is discharged to the appropriate drain system (i.e., storm drains, sanitary drains). Therefore, attention is needed to determine if the cistern overflow piping is directed to storm drainage and if the day tank overflow is directed to sanitary drainage. A regulatory review is needed to ensure that the piping is correct.

Plumbing Code and Environmental Regulations
Currently the Massachusetts Plumbing code requires a State issued special permit for Greywater Systems. All permits are issues by the Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gasfitters via the “Special Permission Plumbing Request Application Form.” The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP) regulates Greywater systems under state regulations 314CMR20.00. The MADEP requires that the water not harm the public who come in contact with the Greywater. Therefore, some Greywater systems may need to add chemicals to kill harmful microorganisms or may need special treatment to remove harmful toxins.

The local Board of Health may also require permitting and monitoring.

Boston, MA – Practical Applications, Inc. (PAI), a leading environmental company, has completed their proprietary solvent dispensing system startup at Cambridge, MA based Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.  The system is designed to continuously supply solvent reagents to laboratory equipment more safely and economically than traditional methods.

Low volume solvent reservoir

Traditional practice limits solvent quantities stored at the bench and have several operational disadvantages such as limited run cycles, low productivity, frequent bottle changes, personnel safety, and fire hazards.  The PAI solvent dispensing system continuously delivers solvents from storage located in a ground floor fire safe room and dispenses to equipment in the laboratory space located on the fourth floor.  Low volume reservoirs regulate flow via spigots similar to other bench top reagents (i.e., argon and reagent water).

Under bench Waste Transfer Station

Waste Solvents are also counted in National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) storage limits
and the PAI Solvent Dispensing System has allowed Alnylam to reduce waste storage on the laboratory floor by 90%. Automatic under bench waste transfer stations continuously transport waste solvents to a central storage tank located in a ground floor fire safe room.

Improved flexibility for chemistry laboratories in Boston and Cambridge using PAI’s Solvent Dispensing System will allow unused spaces to be reprogrammed for chemistry. Furthermore, existing space can be better utilized by freeing space from reagent and waste storage.

As discussed in the August Newsletter, a Fully Automated Industrial Wastewater Pretreatment System will shutdown and temporarily holds wastewater for proper treatment if an out-of-spec condition, an excursion, is detected. These systems require checks only twice a week and an operator on-call. All other systems require a daily operator inspection.

Fortunately, a well designed system requires minimal time and attention to maintain proper function. Maintaining the system safety, chemical inventory, cleaning and calibrating the pH sensor are the most critical daily pH system operator responsibilities. A daily 2-stage active pH Neutralization System daily system check should include:

• Get a general feeling for the system operation. Are there any observable leaks or safety hazards? Is the system louder than normal? Are the pH analyzer/controller currently operating as required?
• Next review the data recorder. Has there been an excursion since the last check? If there has been an excursions system troubleshooting is required.
• Fill out all required paperwork including daily totalized flow and any excursion details (duration and the maximum out-of-spec pH).
• Check the mixers. Are they functioning as expected, or are they hotter or louder than normal? Is the tank agitating sufficiently?
• Check the chemical level in each dispensing drum or day tank. Is there enough chemical, or should more be ordered?
• Ensure the chemical metering pumps are powered and primed. Energize the pumps and use the pH analyzer control to simulate a pH value at which the pumps should respond. Observe the pump injecting chemical into the tank. Does the pH change after exiting the simulation mode?
• Confirm the pH sensors are clean and calibrated to detect changes in pH quickly. Clean the sensors as frequently as required, usually weekly. Check the pH calibration; if the measurement is off calibrate the sensor. A drifting pH reading is a good indication that a pH probe replacement is required.

If this process is followed daily, an Operator can predict when preventive maintenance is needed. If each item on this list is completed daily your pH Neutralization System will always operate as efficiently as it was designed.

Completing your Sewer Use Discharge Permit Renewal Application provides an opportunity to check your compliance with DEP and MWRA hazardous waste regulations.

• The MWRA requires you list and estimate the liquids or sludge amounts removed from your facility each year. This information is easily gathered from a call to your local waste removal vendor(s) or by reviewing your hazardous waste manifests.
• The MWRA also requires that you submit recent hazardous waste manifests for each chemical you list. Be sure to double-check that you have not missed a chemical!
• Note discrepancies in your chemical inventory versus hazardous waste lists; e.g. purchasing large chemical quantities that are not removed from the facility or disposal of chemicals not on your chemical inventory list. These discrepancies can be perfectly legitimate, like your chemical reacted to form a product, but you should be aware of them.
• If you are a large quantity generator, you may submit an annual DEP Waste Summary report in place of the hazardous waste manifests.
• While reviewing your hazardous waste manifests, check you sent out copies to the proper authorities.
• Massachusetts has additional and specific rules you must abide by including:
  • The DEP requires you to maintain hazardous waste manifest for at least three years.
  • The MWRA will also ask you if you have spill plans, toxic organic management plan, source reduction plan, etc.
• Since you have already done much of the work, you may as well double-check your generator status. Did you generate more or less this year? Should you be in a different category? Be proactive and figure it out before the DEP does.

Tune in next month for a discussion on system Grading Reports and Staffing Plans as they pertain to your permit application…

It is important for both experienced and new operators to keep the following items in mind when working on a system:

1. Always use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when touching wet parts. A simple hang nail exposed to clear, seemingly clean water can result in an infection. When maintaining high purity water systems, PPE use will prevent reverse organic (oil and grease) and biological contamination.
2. Report any unusual smells or sounds. These can be some of the first indicators of a major change or problem within a system.
3. Always wash your hands thoroughly when leaving any process room or laboratory.
4. When changing parameters on a system or piece of equipment, always write down the previously programmed parameters in case you need them in the future.
5. When recording data (e.g. daily totalized flow), always check whether the value is logical or not. If not, report this to your supervisor.
6. If a critical piece of equipment is down and the system is still operating, perform system checks twice as often as normal.
7. If you ever feel uncomfortable performing a task, speak up. Safety is paramount to all else.

Caitlin Green – Marketing & Communications
Wastewater Management Team

Licensed Wastewater Treatment System Operators must earn twenty (20) Training Contact Hours (TCH) every two (2) years. They must earn these TCHs through DEP approved courses such as Practical Applications’ next course on Pumps & Valves. The only acception is when you pass your State Exam you automatically earn your first 10 TCHs.

Once you have completed the required TCHs you must mail the TCH certificates to the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC), the current licensing agency, before December 31st. Due to state budget cuts the DEP contracted license exams and renewals to the NEIWPCC in 2005.