The performance of wash water recovery systems and discharge water quality will have a direct relationship to the water quality of the wash water influent and proper maintenance performed on the equipment.  Heavy emulsifying detergents, chemicals and lack of proper maintenance can cause the water quality to vary such that it may not meet acceptable levels in a given application for recycling or for discharge to sewer.

Systems manufactured by Western Water Products product what is referred to as “wash water quality” recovery systems and incorporate many state-of-the-art proven water-cleaning technologies.  Each technology is incorporated in the system in a logical fashion to step by step improve water quality and reduce maintenance.  The performance of the routine maintenance required or specified in the Operations Manual is important in assuring and maintaining consistent re-usable water quality.

Under normal operation, with proper routine maintenance, these wash water recovery systems can produce a consistent quality which is acceptable in most situations.  However, because routine maintenance can and does vary and due to changes in effluent makeup, water quality cannot be guaranteed.  It can be stated for most applications that the filtration technologies and components provided with these system will typically allow for the reuse of the filtered wash water in the washing process or make it suitable for discharge to most sanitary sewer districts.  The filtration technologies included will typically:

• Reduce oils and greases to below 15-25 PPM
• Drop C.O.D.’s and B.O.D.’s typically over 75% to acceptable sewer discharge levels.  Ozonation, if provided as an option, can greatly improve performance in this area.
• Reduce suspended particulate to between 10-20 microns or below depending on the type of cyclonic separator or the polish filters provided.
• Remove a high percentage of heavy metals.  Ozonation, if provided as an option, can greatly improve performance in this area.
• Reduce typical odors caused by bacteria, sulfides and organics.  Ozonation, if provided as an option, can greatly improve performance in this area.

Intention of Filtration System Design:  These wash water filtration systems have been designed to be highly efficient mechanical filtration systems for use in recovering the liquid effluent from typical vehicle washing and a host of other applications, to filter the water for reuse, as wash quality water in a continuous wash and reuse process, or to clean the effluent to make it suitable to meet local sewer requirements for disposal.

Cleaning Technologies Incorporated into these filtration systems include:

• Settling
• Coalescing
• Diffused Air Filtration
• Aeration
• Ozonation (Optional on The LITTLE SUCKER)
• Recirculation
• Adsorption
• Absorption
• Oil Skimming
• Pre-Screening
• Multi-Cell Filtration
• Purging
• Floatation

Additional polish filters, which can be incorporated into these systems, can be designed to eliminate or reduce the following:   Algae, Aluminum, Arsenic,  Bacteria,  Benzene,  Bicarbonate,  BOD,  Cadmium, Carbon Tetrachloride, Chloride, Chlorobenzene, Chloroethane, Chloroform, COD, Copper, Dichlorobenzene, Dichlorethylene, Dichloropropene, Dinitro-Phenol, Dinitro-Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Flourine, FOG (Fats, Oils, Grease), Gasoline, Hydrogen, Hydrogen Gas, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Methyl Chloride, Methyl Isobutyl Ketone, Naphthalene, Nitrobenzene, Nitrophenol, Phenol, Radon, Suspended Solids, Tetrahydofuran, Tin, Toluene, Trichlorobenzene, Trichiorethylene, Urea, Xylene

These wash water recovery systems are manufactured to provide the latest in filtering technologies available in the market today.  All water coming into the filtering system will be filtered and processed back to “Wash Quality Water” standards.  Additional polishing filters can be added to remove or reduce those contaminants mentioned above.  Detergent and other chemicals added to the wash process may not be entirely removed and additional filtering may be required, if removal is desired.  Water, which is intended to be overflowed to sewer, can be cleaned to this quality prior to discharge to sewer.  Due to the varied nature of effluent water encountered and pumped into the systems and because the assurance and quality of routine maintenance cannot be guaranteed, a guarantee of a specific water quality is difficult to provide.