A new maintenance hangar and apron areas are being added at a large Colorado airport to satisfy increasing demands. These large concrete areas where aircraft will be serviced and fueled are subject to strict regulations regarding the amount of jet fuel and other hydrocarbon pollutants are present in the storm water and wastewater collected at these types of facilities.
One of the prime sub-contractors on site recently took delivery of two Highland patented oil/water Separators, a 50,000 and a 10,000-gal capacity, to help the airport maintain the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's requirements for limited discharge of pollutants in water released into the environment. These two units are the fourteenth and fifteenth Highland oil/water separators delivered to the airport. Treated effluent flows from each of the 15 separators into a 110-in. main pipe that leads to a holding pond and is eventually released into the environment.
Each of the double-walled steel separators was manufactured to the UL SU2215 Construction & Performance Standard that maintains effluent quality to just 10 ppm. Due to the large collection area, the separators needed to be buried deeper underground to accommodate the long runs for the drainage pipes. Extra steel reinforcement was welded into the separators to support the extra weight of the overburden. Construction also included Highland's EZ-Access Rectangular Manway System for unobstructed access to the coalescers for removal and maintenance.
A control system monitors the levels of accumulated pollutants that remain in the separators after the wastewater is processed. Highland worked closely with the project design engineers and a controls manufacturer to develop the system that includes control panels and sensors for both units. The unique feature about the control system is the plan to supply electric power using one large solar panel.
