When a Florida firm needed help meeting national pollutant discharge elimination system requirements, management contacted Rain for Rent's Ocala, Fla., branch. The company processes phosphate rock used as a supplement in farm animal feed. The effluent water from the process discharges into a series of open-surface impoundments or ponds, which allows solids to settle prior to discharge. The pond water, which covers more than 100 acres of surface area, releases into a nearby canal under the processor's NPDES discharge permit.

Through years of constant production, the ponds became heavily sedimented and the solids carried into the discharge outfall, exceeding permit limitations. Desiring to improve its environmental stewardship, the company decided to recycle the plant's process water for reuse to reduce wastewater discharge volumes.

When the first contractor's rig began to fail, the processor placed a frantic call to Rain for Rent. After surveying the job site, Rain for Rent recommended two HH-150 stainless steel pumps to meet pumping specifications. One primary pump and one back-up pump ensured coverage. Rain for Rent's second recommendation was to float the pump suction in order to minimize disturbance of the pond bottom and reduced the sediment load on the filtration system.

With the revised reverse osmosis wastewater processing system running, a challenging situation occurred. The pump flow began to overload the RO bag filtration system, forcing frequent change-out of bag filters. After a complete evaluation of the filtration process, Rain for Rent added two sand-media filtration units to the existing system for coverage that would comply with project specifications. The operation now requires only a weekly change of bag filters.

For more application stories, go to www.rainforrent.com.

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