Leachate Treatment

AN ENERGY COMPANY faced stiff fines for breaching arsenic levels in their landfill leachate and gas condensate wastewater.

PROBLEM:

Sludge regularly gummed up filters intended for heavy metals and similar particulates during wastewater treatment. The source? Inconsistent flocs due to polyacrylamide (PAM).

• PAM’s weak bonds create flocs that are too watery, too spongy, or—frustratingly—both. This inconsistent behaviour makes it hard for crews to achieve consistent output and creates havoc for filters during dewatering.
• Leachate can be particularly challenging to wastewater teams given the variability of fats, oil, and grease (FOG).
  

BEHIND THE SCENES:

Looking to avoid regulatory exposure, the operator was spending $25k/month on filter replacements as they sought a permanent fix for the problem.

SOLUTION:

The solution arrived in the form of SimpleFloc, CarboNet’s no-make-down flocculant which, when combined with with ACH (aluminum chloride), and FeCl3 (ferric chloride), resulted in faster solid settlement, lower turbidity, and lower FOG measurements. The effect of this was:

• A 67% reduction in filter damage, which shaved $200k off the P&L
• The elimination of arsenic breaches and a cut in PAM usage by 79%

“The speed and clarity that CarboNet helped us to achieve in our water was better than anything we ever expected—the results were astounding. Not only could this save tens of thousands in equipment costs, we are impressed with how seamless the experience was.“

Plant Manager, Waste Disposal Unit

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Chemistry to compete

CarboNet’s NanoNet platform generates flocculants, coagulants, and targeting agents that that adjust in real time to changing wastewater conditions—cutting cost, dose rates, labor, and emissions.