Challenge

Newly mandated pharmaceutical pretreatment standards imposed by the USEPA and adopted by the city of Albany, Ore., led Synthetech, Inc., to install a wastewater treatment system. 

Because of the wide range of chemicals manufactured by Synthetech, and the varied manufacturing processes, there were large fluctuations in the variety and concentration of contaminants in the wastewater requiring treatment.

Solution

Bench-scale testing was conducted by Siemens Water Technologies to determine the best solution, and a full-scale system was designed which included an evaporator for the process stream and a PACT® treatment system for the evaporator distillate plus the non-process wastewater.

The PACT system combines physical adsorption on powdered activated carbon with activated sludge, and was supplied as a factory-built, sequencing batch reactor (SBR) consisting of an aeration/settling tank, aeration blower, air distribution system, and delivery systems for various other inputs. 

Results

The new system, installed in the fall of 2001, is not only enabling Synthetech to meet the Federal and local pharmaceutical pretreatment standards, but is also saving Synthetech over $18,000/month in off-site disposal costs, sewer charges and POTW "site development charges".