How to Handle Wastewater Disposal and Spent Chemicals
What to Avoid in Wastewater Disposal
Believe it or not, when we asked a client where they dumped their wastewater/spent chemicals, they sheepishly admitted that they just dumped it into the parking lot where it goes down a storm drain! Upon saying it, they realized that this was probably not an acceptable practice, but up until that point they hadn’t really thought about it. It was something that they had always done and assumed that since it was in small quantities that it was probably fine.
This is surprising considering the danger to our waterways and considering this is 2018. However, it probably occurs more often than we realize. Some companies don’t know any better, some just make it up as they go, or some just do what they have always done.
If you’re not sure what your employees are doing with wastewater or waste chemicals it would be wise to double check that the waste generated at your facility is being disposed of properly.
What to Do
It is important to recognize that storm drains should never be used for wastewater or chemical disposal. Storm sewers do not connect to a treatment system. The water that enters storm sewers discharges to the nearest water body and is not treated at a wastewater treatment plant. So by dumping things into storm sewers, you are in essence, dumping directly into and polluting your nearby creek or river.
If you are a manager or business owner and you are not confident in your disposal methods, Turn-Key Environmental Consultants (TKEC) can help. For example, TKEC can investigate current practices and we can help your facility design and set up a proper collection and disposal system. We can train your employees on these and other best practices and we can also assist with proper permitting requirements. Call us at 937-335-8807.
