|
| | | Forum Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 12/12/2007 7:41:47 PM
Posts: 4, Visits: 7 |
| I'm a landowner that has biosoilds applied to my land. I'm growing sick and tired of the trash(tampons, condoms, pens, q-tips, syringes, etc.) that ends up in the mix out here. I stopped the cake as that was an even bigger trash problem and only allow liquids now.
I voiced my concerns with the application company and they tried to help by building a screening box. Well, that helped a little, but the trash still seems to get through.
I obviously am not in the business per say, but it just seems like in this day and age, they should be able to screen out all trash at the station where they pick this stuff up at. Am I wrong to think this?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
|
| |
| | | Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 6/25/2008 12:28:00 PM
Posts: 14, Visits: 70 |
| Trash, plastics, rags, sanitary napkins, q-tips, floss and other unwanted matter has been a source of grief in the industry for decades. It's what led JWC Environmental to develop sewage and sludge grinders back in 1973 and to introduce wastewater fine screens in the 1990s.
Pump stations clog, sludge pumps get wrapped up in rags, heat-exchangers jam solid with trash, aeration basins get clogged with rags, condoms float in lakes or waterfront areas and yes - some trash ends up in the biosolids spread on fields as you have experienced. Even hypodermic needles can get stuck in pumps threatening workers. As a percentage it is very small so it is not seen as a top threat to the environment, but still a very unpleasant visual. Moreover, treatment plant operators get the job of unclogging, unplugging, unsticking, skimming and otherwise trying to take out most of the trash everybody put into the sewer system.
People use their toilet as a trash can. One day they'll stop, but don't seem to be slowing down right now.
In the last five years fine screens have become increasingly popular here in the States - in part for the exact reason you mentioned - to keep trash from entering the wastewater treatment plant and escaping into the open environment. The conveyor belt like screen uses stainless steel perforate panels with tiny 1/4" or 1/8" circular holes in it to take out the trash at the start of the treatment process (called inlet works or headworks).
So you're right - the technology is available. In your area of Texas we've installed a couple dozen finescreens into wastewater treatment plants including the one above. Several hundred here in the States and over a thousand around the world.
Here is an article about the new breed of wastewater fine screens a co-worker and I completed for WE&T.
You can also get an up-close view of the sewer fine screens in our on-line video.
For more information on JWC's fine screens and handling wastewater trash you can visit our website at www.jwce.com
If you want let me know which city you're in at jwce@jwce.com and I'll see if a finescreen is nearby - you can ask the facility to check-it out yourself. The folks here at JWC focus exclusively on helping treatment plants handle the trash in wastewater. Thanks for bringing up the topic.
Also, thanks for taking all those biosolids - you deserve a big thank you. Without landowners such as yourself - the industry would be stuck with a heck of a lot of stuff on its hands.
Alec Mackie
JWC Environmental
Home of the Muffin Monster
www.jwce.com | jwce@jwce.com |
| |
| | | Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 2 days ago @ 1:37:32 PM
Posts: 481, Visits: 1,437 |
| | Looks like a set-up question and answer by muffin. Anyway I'm glad that muffin is getting on the band wagon for fine screens. |
| |
| | | Forum Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 12/12/2007 7:41:47 PM
Posts: 4, Visits: 7 |
| Alec,
Thank you for the reply and info!
I should have mentioned a bit more about the screening box they built. He used expanded metal for the screens and when he brought it out here, I looked at him and said, "that's not going to filter much as the holes are too large".
Well, he said it had to be that way because any smaller and it would just clog all the time with hair. I can understand that, but then again, I'm getting to the point that this is my land and though I'm trying to do something good, is it all worth trashing up my place?
There's nothing like driving friends and family around the place and having to explain why there are condom wrappers in the field..........yes, those ARE tampon applicators lying there.......yes that is a used syringe......you know the rest.
The best part is then trying to explain WHY I let it happen.
There are positives I know, but it just seems to me that the industry would be doing everything possible to rectify the problem. Allowing this will never make it favorable in the publics eyes......of course it is funny to watch someone's eyes get about as big a saucers when I tell them they used to just pump this stuff into the rivers and ocean.
I contacted Gene over at www.biosoilds.org and he is the one that told me about this site. I had been telling them they needed to add a "Landowners Area" to theirs for us to voice our side of the equation. So I'm glad I've finally found somewhere to obtain info.
|
| |
| | | Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 6/25/2008 12:28:00 PM
Posts: 14, Visits: 70 |
| | LOL...I hear ya Jerry - that was a perfect question for our product... And I promise - no games, no set-ups. In business today we have to earn your trust and respect one person at a time. I won't screw that up by playing games. If I planted the TexasBiosolids post - well then I'll eat it!
Alec Mackie
JWC Environmental
Home of the Muffin Monster
www.jwce.com | jwce@jwce.com |
| |
| | | Forum Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 12/12/2007 7:41:47 PM
Posts: 4, Visits: 7 |
| Alec,
Forgot to add this question and the reason I'm posting instead of emailing you direct is in the possibility that other landowners find out about this discussion group and can benefit from the info.
Here's the million dollar question. How do you keep your screens from clogging with hair?
I'll try and take some pictures of the screening box they built here and post. It is essentially a large roll off box that is separated into three compartments. The compartments are separated by the large screens and are able to be removed with a small crane to be cleaned. Although I think the hair that is supposed to be "the problem" is actually serving as the better screen.
|
| |
| | | Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 6/26/2008 6:47:13 PM
Posts: 119, Visits: 602 |
| | One solution is to tell the application company to get a crew to come pick the stuff up. I would have to send guys out to pick plastics about twice a year. Nice application site with views of the Rockies, deer, Elk not a bad gig twice a year. Mark |
| |
| | | Forum Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 12/12/2007 7:41:47 PM
Posts: 4, Visits: 7 |
| Well, I've had that discussion with them as well. What I've found is during hay season, they really need to pick up every day as the trash gets lost in the tall grass. Which is another issue in itself......haven't really had any complaints from the person that makes the hay out here with people complaining, but I know it's not good for a rancher to buy hay for his cows and get the "present" of tampons in the rolls.
I've asked time and time again to "police" the fields as I call it, but the one guy he has working out here is either on the tractor moving the raingun or dealing with the unloading of trucks which seem to come in one right after another.
He really needs to hire a full time person just to walk the fields.
|
| |
| | | Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 2 days ago @ 1:37:32 PM
Posts: 481, Visits: 1,437 |
| | As muffin would know, there are mechanical bar screens available that would automatically rake the screen and dump it in a container(dumpster),of sorts. |
| |
| | | Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 6/26/2008 9:18:16 PM
Posts: 372, Visits: 708 |
| One helpful piece of information is: WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF THE BIOSOLIDS?? Is this cake or liquid sludge? If the material is coming from a wastewater treatment plant, the plant is responsible to remove the objectionable material. They should have a screen installed to catch the debris.
David |
| |
|
|