Waste Water Processing: Electrocoagulation

Electro coagulation is an exciting new technology and here at SES we can evaluate your waste stream for electrocoagulation. Just give us a call at 210-633-0051

The broad-spectrum treatment effect of electrogoactulation allows one system to remove multiple contaminates with the same price, space, and time as it would to remove one contaminate. Here are some capabilities of electrocoagulation: it removes heavy metals, suspended and colloidal solids, fats oil and grease; it breaks oil emulsions in water; destroys and removes bacteria, viruses, and complex organics. With all of these capabilities the benefits are numerous including: reducing your sludge volume, no usage of chemicals, able to process multiple contaminants, harvests proteins, oils, and metals, and is able to process waste streams with up to 5% solids.
Below is how the process is actually performed:
1. Equilibration is done in a similar manner as with conventional systems. Following equilibration the wastewater is pumped through a reaction chamber. This technology is very useful in removing a variety of wastewater contaminants. This technology has been used successfully in removing metals, oil and grease, and fecal solids.
2. Electro coagulation - is done in a reaction chamber which consists of a chamber with several sacrificial charged steel plates inside. Positive and negative charges are applied to alternate plates, one being negative and the other positive. As water passes over the plates through the reaction chamber or cell, an electron soup is formed which includes metal ions from the steel plates mixed with ionic species present in the water, these highly charged species form bonding sites for the contaminants in the water, and just as in the conventional treatment process they form little particulates. From this point forward the process is basically the same as conventional treatment. The advantage is that usually there is no chemical usage required with the possible exception of ph adjustment to enhance the process. A rectifier is used to provide the power to charge the plates. This process is very efficient and results in a very low cost process for treatment of your wastewater.
3. De foam/clarification - coming out of the reaction chamber is clear water and the particulates which are lifted out of the water by the formation of gas during the process. These float to the top initially, they will eventually fall to the bottom and this leaves a clear water product which can be decanted to the discharge point. Defoaming / clarification may be accomplished in an inclined plane clarifier or a regular poly tank.
4. Decant/filtration - following the process of defoaming and clarification the water should be sent through a polishing filter. This may be done using a variety of filtration products. SES can help you put your entire system together.

Investing in new technologies can really pay off for your company; give us a call to talk about how we can help you implement this new technology. (210)633-0051

Waste Water treatment- the basics

At SES we provide our customers with knowledgeable experience in many processes. One of the services we provide is designing, setting up, and maintaining waste water treatment systems. Below you will find information on the various elements used to remove metals from waste water and how they accomplish this task.
1. Equilibration tank -
Using a holding tank which will allow various streams with various contaminants to mix together and equilibrate. This enables the treatment unit to address the entire mix rather than each stream individually. Exceptions to this procedure are situations where cyanide is present (requires pretreatment before mixing) and situations where large amounts of hydrocarbons are present. Phase separation or acidification is required then to pre-treat and remove the hydrocarbons. Once the hydrocarbons are removed and there is no cyanide left, the treatment process for metal removal can begin. After the equilibration step the water is pumped or flowed into a reaction chamber or mixing tanks.
2. Reaction chamber and mixing tanks-
Mixing chambers are used in convent ional systems to add acids, caustics or lime for ph adjustment, reducing agents for conversion of species by oxidation or reduction i.e. Chromium. Most mixing chambers or tanks enhance the process by stirring, and chemicals are usually added by diaphragm or metering style pumps. One of the desired results of the mixing of the water and reagents in the process is to generate a solid precipitate particle which incorporates the contaminants inside and which then can be removed from the resultant clear water stream by flotation or settling. Polymers are used to enhance this separation process. Once the particulates are formed and flocculated with the polymer the water is allowed to flow into a clarifier.
3. Clarifier-
Clarification is enhanced manually by flowing the water/ particulate mixture through an inclined plane clarifier. This process allows the particulates to agglomerate even more and become a loose sludge. As the sludge forms the clear water continues to move up through the system and out to discharge. The sludge mentioned above requires further concentration. It is pumped from the bottom of the clarifier into a sludge thickening tank by double diaphragm pumps.
4. Sludge thickener-
Sludge thickening is done in a sludge thickening tank which may be outfitted with a very slow center mounted stirrer. The sludge from these tanks is pumped into a filter system to further concentrate the sludge and dewater it to free up the clean water.
5. Water discharge- Is accomplished both from the top of the clarifier, and from the filtrate from the filter press or filter system.
6. Filter press-
Sludge processing is best done by filtration and dewatering or drying. This can be accomplished with filter presses, gravity filtration boxes, sock filters, or drying beds.

SES can supply, all of the materials for each of these processes, as well as design, construct, and maintain a waste water treatment plan to best suit your needs. For more information please call us at 210-633-0051.

"Greening" your Pet

We are all striving to live more environmentally friendly. We reduce our waste, use natural products, and consider our actions and how they affect our environment. Many people forget that their pet is part of their family and also needs to live more environmentally friendly. Here are some tips to 'greening' your pet:

Many of the chemicals used in pet-care are harmful to your pet, you and the environment.

• Diatomaceous earth is safe and organic to use on your lawn to kill fleas and ticks; It can be purchased at most feed stores, be sure to wear gloves, a face mask, and don't ingest it!



• You don't have to bathe your pet with toxic shampoos, just use an herbal shampoo and leave it on your pet for 5-8 min. Leaving it on that long will kill the fleas and ticks



• Natural Flea Treatment:People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has a formula that works 100% of the time, is environmentally friendly, and does not expose you or your pets to harsh chemicals and carcinogens. Simply slice up two lemons and pour nearly boiling water over them, then soak overnight. The next day, strain the liquid and pour into a spray bottle. Spritz the dogs daily with this solution and rub it into the coat. It is also a good idea to spray their bedding. No more fleas! (from doityourself.com)



• Providing your canine friend with all natural pet food is important for their health—let’s take a bite out of a few of the benefits:
  There are less allergen causing products in all natural foods. Preservatives and wheat or corn meal found in regular dog foods can cause hair loss, itching, and other allergy symptoms in sensitive dogs.

Since natural dog food rarely uses meals, there is a smaller chance of harmful or diseased products being included in the food.

Hormone free chicken, beef, or fish used to manufacture your dog food impacts the environment less, since less hormone-injected animal waste is being placed into the aquifer. (taken from greenlivingideas.com)

• One last thing- Don't leave your pet in a locked car. The internal temperature of the car can reach ten to 20 degrees higher than the outside temperature. So a 100 degree day is like an oven in your car. If you want a hot-dog; go to a baseball game.

Have a great day SA,

SES

Environmental San Antonio- Summer is here!

Hello San Antonians!

It sure is hot out there, news reports say we will get to 101 this afternoon.
Here are some tips to keep cool during this hot day:

• Protect yourself from the sun- wear sunscreen, cover up with a long sleeve shirt, and hat.
• Check your local UV Index here: http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvindex.html#lookup
• Look at your car- Green Vehicle Guide Smog is at its highest levels during the summer. Tailpipe emissions from cars and trucks account for almost half of the air pollution in the United States. You may be surprised to know that you have cleaner more fuel-efficient choices in any vehicle size you need, even an SUV. Find out for yourself. Go to the Green Vehicle Guide to find the cleanest, most fuel efficient vehicle that meets your needs. (taken from epa.gov)
• When mowing your yard: Recycle grass. Don't pick up the grass clippings after you mow. Clippings will return nutrients and moisture to the soil. Consider buying a mulching lawn mower. This will cut the grass clippings finer and blow them into the lawn. (taken from epa.gov)

• Keep track of the drought restrictions- In this time of year it is especially important to watch your water usage. You want to make sure to follow all regulations; if not for the environment, then for the fines! First time fines can be up to $100, and repeating fines go up from there! Here is a link for more information: http://www.saws.org/latest_news/NewsDrill.cfm?news_id=600

If you need any environmental services visit our website for more information: http://www.synergisticenvironmental.com/

Have a great day SA!
SES