EPA Uses Efficient, Inexpensive EVAC System for Dewatering Equipment

When a frac tank full of oily waste had to be emptied, the EPA used the EVAC Filtration System to dewater it. Not only were hydrocarbons captured and sediment removed, the EVAC System cost only a fraction of the use of a vacuum truck, saving thousands of dollars.

In 2010, a fuel line between an underground storage tank and a pump discharged gasoline into Thick Creek, a tributary of the Canoochee River in southeastern Georgia. The tank was immediately emptied, but gasoline continued to flow to the surface via a groundwater seep.

The EPA used a frac tank to temporarily store the liquids removed from the sump/intercept trench. The oily wastes were pumped through a hose strung 30' into a drainage ditch. To remove sheen and contaminants from the water, an EVAC Filter was attached to the end of the hose.

The EVAC System uses Justrite solidifying polymers, a non-toxic blend of food-grade polymers that solidifies hydrocarbons into a rubber-like mass. Constructed of a non-woven geotextile that absorbs 10 times its weight in hydrocarbons, the EVAC is ideal for pumping contaminated water from water discharge systems in tanks, vaults, manholes, elevator shafts, bilges and more.

The EVAC was monitored for maximum retention using a combination of Hydrocarbon Detection Strips and a TVA-1000 PID/FID vapor monitor. Approximately 9,000 gallons of water were filtered through the first EVAC filter at a rate of approximately 70 gpm. Then 5,500 gallons of water were filtered through the second EVAC at a rate of approximately 30 gpm for a total of approximately 14,500 gallons of water. Throughout the process, no sheen was observed near the filter, within the drainage ditch or on the retention pond.

The cost comparison between hiring a vacuum truck and using the EVAC Filtration System is dramatic. Hiring a truck and personnel to remove and dispose of 14,500 gallons of contaminated water costs about 70¢ per gallon, totaling $10,150. In contrast, EVAC systems cost $356 each, so the two used in Georgia cost $712.

Reusable, the EVAC system can be disposed of in most landfills, eliminating the "Cradle to Grave Liability" and the costs associated with hazardous waste disposal. Justrite solidifying polymers (formerly known as C.I.Agent) are listed on the EPA National Contingency Plan Product Schedule for use on oil spills in the navigable waters of the US.

Contact Justrite for Your Dewatering Equipment

Justrite offers many sludge and dewatering solutions for managing vault and manhole O&M. Contact us today to learn more.

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