State Saves Money with Unique PCB Filtration System

BACKGROUND

An increase in PCBs at wastewater treatment plants due to illegal dumping across South Carolina prompted a new law to reduce PCB levels in treated water to below 3 parts-per-billion. Plants around the state needed to act fast to protect their customers and population from PCB contamination and avoid costly fines. The wastewater treatment plants also faced disposal fees doubling while PCBs were above the limit.

OUTCOME
Rain for Rent’s solution saved the plant more than $50,000 in carbon filtration costs through a robust 200 GPM filtration system that reduced PCBs to a non-detect level, well below the mandated 3 PP

B limit. The treatment plant realized additional savings by avoiding potential fines and lower sludge disposal fees.

LakeTank used in PCB remediation filtration project

HIGHLIGHTS
Rain for Rent used a combination of ten 21,000 gallon tanks, mixer tanks and the LakeTank™ to store and treat the contaminated digester sludge from the basins while crews used a belt press and Rain for Rent filtration equipment to remove PCBs from the sludge.

After the sludge was pressed, the 200 GPM effluent ran through a media filter, a bag and a particulate filter with increasingly fine micron bags and cartridges to meet the discharge regulations. Rain for Rent also provided a 30 MGD influent pump station bypass while the wet wells were decontaminated and upgrades to the plant’s pumps were made.

Pumps used in PCB filtration project

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK
The Plant Foreman, said of Rain for Rent’s service, “The customer service and professionalism has been outstanding and I would personally recommend their services to anyone.” Currently, Rain for Rent has provided similar systems for four municipalities in the area dealing with PCB contamination.