A confidential pharmaceutical client in California engaged Woodard & Curran to evaluate wastewater treatment options and design a practical solution to its challenges, which would help the client continue its successful operations. The facility discharges to the publicly owned treatment works. Due to the batch nature of its manufacturing process, allowable discharge limits were sometimes exceeded. The treatment regime Woodard & Curran designed to solve this problem was robust and capable of meeting all permit limitations under existing and future loading conditions.
LIMITED SPACE ADDS COMPLEXITY TO THE DESIGN
The project required the segregation of high TDS wastewater. Preliminary evaluations suggested that waste segregation, holding, blending, treatment, and selective reuse of treated wastestreams would be the most cost-effective, long-term approach to meet the facility’s goals. However, the site had limited available footprint for new infrastructure. As such, a compact interim diversion and blending system was designed. The chosen system has proven to be easy to operate and maintain and fits with the long-term treatment goals for this site.
WOODARD & CURRAN’S EXPERIENCE A KEY FACTOR
The Woodard & Curran team members selected for this project had significant experience in the design of industrial wastewater treatment processes for the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, including diversion systems of this type. The project was divided into three phases. The first consisted of site surveys, analytical testing, development of design concepts, cost estimates, selection of the preferred options, and preparation of a Basis of Design report. The second phase included the preparation of equipment procurement and detailed design packages for construction of the selected option. The third entailed engineering services during construction. The upgrades comprised of new tanks and a secondary containment structure, a truck load-out station, and pumping systems, as well as controls for diversion, blending, and truck load-out and/or wastewater reprocessing.
