Posted on Wed, Jul 07, 2010 @ 12:26 PM
Dave Williamson, Industrial Account Manager
Oil water separators (OWS) can be costly to maintain and if not properly managed, can pollute surface and ground water which typically leads to costly violations. Have you taken steps to minimize the effects of your OWS on your budget and the environment?
Eliminate contaminants: Don't rely on the OWS to handle wash water from fuel, coolant, solvent, oil, or paint spills. Instead, clean up spills when and where they occur with dry methods.
Wash without detergents: Emulsifying cleaning compounds disperse oil in wash water and make OWSs ineffective—oil passes right through to the sewer. High pressure water or non-emulsifying cleaners are sufficient for most cleaning applications.
Minimize loading: Minimize the amount of solids and oils that enter your OWS. The less solids and oils that reach the OWS, the less frequently sludge and floating oil must be removed from the OWS and the better it will work. Also, minimize the amount of wash water reaching the OWS. Excessive water flow can flood an OWS, forcing wastewater through it too fast to allow separation; the result: oil and other contaminants pass right through to the sewer.
Reduce sludge build up in OWS: If possible eliminate storm water flow into the OWS using berms or curbs solids have less time to settle. Install additional grates and screens on drains. Use sloping pavement and sediment traps around drains
Set-up a maintenance schedule: A field service crew with a Cusco Vacuum Truck can perform this service by pumping the sludge and oil then pressure washing from the surface. The Vacuum Truck then removes the rinsates. For larger OWS a confined space entry may be required.