Project Briefs:
Superfund Site Achieves US EPA Compliance with Innovative SAMCO Groundwater Treatment Plant
Project Overview
Challenged to meet the terms of a United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) consent order, a Kansas Superfund site looked to SAMCO for a groundwater treatment solution to achieve compliance on a rapid time line and limited budget.
Objective
Deliver scalable groundwater treatment plant (GWTP) design to reduce contaminants per
compliance standards, including:
- Reduction of hexavalent chromium levels to < 17 ppb
- Reduction of total chromium concentration to < 100 ppb
Scope of Service
Challenges
- Stringent US EPA discharge limits
- Limited budget
- Tight compliance deadline
Solution
Working closely with a US EPA- contracted engineering firm, SAMCO developed and delivered scalable GWTP plans designed remove chrome contaminants resulting from metal working activity at the client’s Superfund site. The GWTP design proposed SAMCO’s signature skid-mounted modular design to reduce overall project execution time by 50% and cut project costs by 30%. Incorporating specialized ion exchange (IX) resins, combined on- and off-site regenerable IX processes, programmable logic controls (PLC), and remote telemetry, the concept design reduced costs associated with operations and maintenance for maximum return on investment.
Technology
Plant design concept included:
- On- and off-site regenerable IX units
- Equalization tanks
- Precipitation/clarification units • Effluent and influent pumps
- Sludge handling/filter press
- PLC controls