Industrial wastewater management and the ability to address wastewater challenges are critical issues for chemical and petrochemical plants. These challenges are driven by increasingly stringent regulatory standards, rising water costs, and looming water shortages. PRAB, Inc. builds and customizes advanced solutions to avoid these challenges while reducing operational costs and maintaining compliance with the strictest environmental regulations.
In 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) imposed $69 million in pollution penalties, underscoring the financial risks of non-compliance. As water costs continue to rise, efficient wastewater management is not just an environmental responsibility but a business imperative. PRAB, Inc. provides innovative technologies and expert consulting services to help chemical processors meet these demands with cost-effective and efficient solutions that exceed regulatory requirements.
Wastewater discharge regulations are fairly complex. A lack of a high-level understanding of their framework and enforcement can pose a real barrier to effective and efficient compliance management.
Since 1972, the United States has pursued an increasingly stringent water control program. From the EPA’s perspective, two kinds of wastewater discharges must be regulated under the Clean Water Act (CWA): direct discharges into “waters of the United States” and indirect discharges that pass through a POTW for treatment before being released into the water supply.
Indirect discharges are regulated through a national pretreatment program, which is a cooperative effort of federal, state, and local environmental regulatory agencies. The program’s objective is to protect POTWs’ infrastructure and reduce the amount of industrially generated pollutants discharged into the municipal sewer system and the environment.
The EPA has established three primary kinds of pretreatment standards:
Standards outside of the CWA are also a factor in wastewater compliance. Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the EPA regulates solid waste transport, treatment, storage, and disposal (including oils and sludges). While not a direct component of discharge regulations, U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards also impact a chemical processor’s approach to wastewater management. Toxic and other hazardous gases can arise when certain inorganic pollutants in wastewater mix in the discharge collection system. OSHA sets exposure limits on toxic and air contaminants to protect worker health. POTWs will reduce this risk by controlling the maximum level of pollutants discharged.
Tip: When it comes to understanding the scope of wastewater requirements for a plant — and optimizing solutions to manage wastewater treatment — operators must appreciate that air discharge limits also play a role. For example, a wastewater treatment system requires proper ventilation. If a wet scrubber removes toxic substances from gases, the toxic substances will collect in the wastewater generated by the scrubber, creating an additional wastewater stream to manage.
At a minimum, the EPA requires all significant industrial users (SIUs) to have permits. The EPA defines SIUs as:
The complexity of wastewater discharge regulations, governed by the Clean Water Act (CWA) and enforced by the EPA, can be overwhelming. PRAB, Inc. simplifies this process by offering industry-leading expertise in navigating these regulations, ensuring your operations remain compliant and efficient. Our solutions protect publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) and minimize the risk of non-compliance penalties.
For an in-depth understanding of these regulations, refer to the EPA’s Clean Water Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
Water costs are escalating, and demand is expected to exceed supply by 2030. PRAB, Inc. offers state-of-the-art wastewater recycling and reuse systems that significantly reduce water consumption, lower operational costs, and support sustainable practices. For example, our systems can treat and repurpose washdown water, reducing freshwater use by up to 20%.
Tip: Recycling or repurposing washdown water can cut water consumption substantially. For example, a chemical blender of industrial metalworking fluids uses as much as 20% of its incoming water to clean out the facility’s mixing vats. Treating this water enables its reuse, markedly reducing incoming water usage.
PRAB, Inc. goes beyond providing equipment; we are your partner in achieving and maintaining compliance. Our expertise in local and federal regulations allows us to work closely with your team to ensure that your wastewater treatment systems are effective and cost-efficient. We offer a comprehensive range of technologies, including ultrafiltration, vacuum evaporation, and reverse osmosis, tailored to meet your needs.
For more on the EPA’s Effluent Guidelines, visit Effluent Guidelines.
Tip: Do not exclusively rely on historical wastewater data. Carefully evaluate the current wastewater in the context of the plant’s current operating parameters, which are subject to change as production goals fluctuate. An experienced and trusted supplier of industrial wastewater technology can evaluate a facility’s wastewater stream by running tests and obtaining a laboratory analysis of samples before and after various treatment options. The supplier can recommend the proper equipment and treatment methods to recycle or repurpose the permeate from those results.
The EPA’s Effluent Guidelines for industrial wastewater management set technology-based numerical limitations for specific pollutants on an industry-by-industry basis, including several chemical processing applications. The guidelines don’t require a specific technology to achieve reduction.
PRAB, Inc. specializes in zero-liquid-discharge (ZLD) technologies, which are increasingly vital as regulations tighten. Our solutions include ultrafiltration, vacuum evaporation, and reverse osmosis systems designed to maximize water reuse while minimizing environmental impact and operational costs.
Tip: Partner with a wastewater treatment system supplier that offers all types of technology and will work in lockstep with plant operators throughout equipment acquisition — from sampling and permitting to testing and installation. Also, be sure to pursue testing and feasibility studies before equipment selection. Equipment suppliers that collect wastewater samples from the plant, run those samples through their proprietary wastewater treatment systems and then verify the processing results through a certified laboratory not only have proof of projected water quality improvements but also will have collected data required for a new discharge permit application.
As wastewater regulations become more stringent, partnering with PRAB, Inc. ensures your chemical processing plant remains compliant, cost-efficient, and environmentally responsible. We’ll make it possible to address wastewater challenges, and our advanced technologies and expert consulting services will help you optimize wastewater management, reduce operational costs, and position your company as a leader in sustainable practices.
For more detailed information on wastewater regulations and compliance strategies, explore the following resources:
Tim Hanna is the vice president of business development for PRAB, Kalamazoo, MI. Email him at [email protected].
Read the original editorial on chemicalprocessing.com.
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