Provisions must be made for proper disposal of water treatment
plant waste such as sanitary, laboratory, clarification sludge, softening
sludge, iron sludge, filter backwash water, and liquid concentrates. In
locating waste disposal facilities, due consideration shall be given to
preventing potential contamination of the water supply. (3-24-22)
01.
Sanitary Waste. The sanitary
waste from water treatment plants, pumping stations, and other waterworks
installations must receive treatment. Waste from these facilities shall be
discharged directly to a sanitary sewer system, when available and feasible, or
to an adequate on-site waste treatment facility approved under the provisions
of IDAPA 58.01.03, "Individual/Subsurface Sewage Disposal Rules."
(3-24-22)
02.
Liquid
Concentrates. (3-24-22)
a. Waste from
ion exchange plants, demineralization plants, reverse osmosis, on-site chlorine
generators, or other plants which produce liquid concentrates may be disposed
of by the following methods: (3-24-22)
i.
Liquid concentrates that contain radionuclides must be further treated to
remove the radioactive constituents as sludge. See Subsection
540.03.e. for disposal
requirements for sludge that contains radionuclides. The residual liquids from
which radionuclides have been removed may be disposed of in accordance with
Subsections 540.02.a.ii. through
540.02.a.iv. (3-24-22)
ii.
Controlled discharge to a stream or other receiving water body if adequate
dilution is available. Such discharge will require a National Pollution
Elimination System Permit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region
10, 1200 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101, Telephone (206) 553-1200.
(3-24-22)
iii. Liquid concentrates
may be discharged to a sanitary sewer, if available and feasible. Acceptance of
such waste must be approved by the sewer authority. (3-24-22)
iv. Subsurface disposal or land application
of liquid concentrates may be permitted, but only if such discharge meets the
requirements of IDAPA 58.01.03, "Individual/Subsurface Sewage Disposal Rules"
for subsurface disposal or the requirements of IDAPA 58.01.17, "Recycled Water
Rules" for land application. (3-24-22)
b. Should the nature of the liquid
concentrate cause it to be ineligible for permitted discharge as described in
Subsection 540.02.a., further onsite
treatment of the liquid concentrate may be required in order to produce sludge
and liquid waste that will meet the permit criteria for one (1) or more of the
disposal options. (3-24-22)
03.
Sludge Waste. Sludge is the
solid waste resulting from coagulation, precipitation, or passive settling of
liquid concentrates. Depending on composition, liquids remaining after sludge
removal may be disposed of by methods described in Subsection
540.02, recycled through the
treatment plant, or may be pure enough to be unregulated. The following methods
of treatment and disposal apply to sludge: (3-24-22)
a. Precipitative Softening Sludge. (3-24-22)
i. At least two (2) temporary storage lagoons
must be provided in order to give flexibility in operation. Provisions must be
made for convenient cleaning. An acceptable means of final sludge disposal must
be provided. (3-24-22)
ii. Liquid
or dewatered precipitative softening sludge may be applied to farm land if
heavy metals or other contaminants do not exceed the requirements of IDAPA
58.01.02, "Water Quality Standards." (3-24-22)
iii. Dewatered precipitative softening sludge
may be disposed of in a sanitary landfill in accordance with the requirements
of IDAPA 58.01.06, "Solid Waste Management Rules." Acceptance of such waste is
at the discretion of the landfill authority. (3-24-22)
b. Alum or Ferric Sludge. (3-24-22)
i. Temporary storage lagoons must contain at
least two (2) compartments to facilitate independent filling and dewatering
operations. Mechanical concentration may be considered. If mechanical
dewatering is used, it shall be preceded by sludge concentration and chemical
pre-treatment. A pilot plant study is required before the design of a
mechanical dewatering installation. See Subsection
501.19 for general information
on conducting pilot studies. (3-24-22)
ii. Alum or ferric sludge may be discharged
to a sanitary sewer if available and feasible. Acceptance of such waste must be
approved by the sewer authority. (3-24-22)
iii. Dewatered alum or ferric sludge may be
disposed of in a sanitary landfill in accordance with the requirements of IDAPA
58.01.06, "Solid Waste Management Rules." Acceptance of such waste is at the
discretion of the landfill authority. (3-24-22)
iv. Alum or ferric sludge may be disposed of
by land application if the permitting requirements of IDAPA 58.01.02, "Water
Quality Standards," and IDAPA 58.01.17, "Recycled Water Rules," are met.
(3-24-22)
v. Water removed from
alum or ferric sludge may be disposed of in the same manner as liquid
concentrates, as described in Subsection
540.02.
(3-24-22)
c. Red Water.
Red water is the waste filter wash water from iron and manganese removal
plants. (3-24-22)
i. If sand filters are used
they shall have the following features: (3-24-22)
(1) Total filter area shall be sufficient to
adequately dewater applied solids. Unless the filter is small enough to be
cleaned and returned to service in one (1) day, two (2) or more cells are
required. (3-24-22)
(2) The "red
water" filter shall have sufficient capacity to contain, above the level of the
sand, the entire volume of wash water produced by washing all of the production
filters in the plant, unless the production filters are washed on a rotating
schedule and the flow through the production filters is regulated by true rate
of flow controllers. Then sufficient volume shall be provided to properly
dispose of the wash water involved. (3-24-22)
(3) Where freezing is a problem, provisions
should be made for covering the filters during the winter months.
(3-24-22)
(4) "Red water" filters
shall not have common walls with finished water. (3-24-22)
ii. Subsurface infiltration lagoons may be
permitted, but only if such discharge meets the requirements of IDAPA 58.01.03,
"Individual/Subsurface Sewage Disposal Rules." (3-24-22)
iii. "Red water" may be discharged to a
sanitary sewer if available and feasible. Acceptance of such waste must be
approved by the sewer authority. Design shall prevent cross connections and
there shall be no common walls between potable and non-potable fluid.
(3-24-22)
d. Filter
Backwash Water. (3-24-22)
i. Recycling is
permitted if the backwash waters are returned to the head of the treatment
plant or another entry point if supported by engineering studies. Backwash
water shall be held for a sufficient time prior to recycling to allow solids to
settle out. (3-24-22)
ii. Dewatered
sludge from backwash water clarification processes may be disposed of in a
sanitary landfill in accordance with the requirements of IDAPA 58.01.06, "Solid
Waste Management Rules." Acceptance of such waste must be approved by the
landfill authority. (3-24-22)
e. Radioactive Sludge. Waste residuals
containing radioactive substances, including, but not limited to granular
activated carbon used for radon removal or ion-exchange regeneration waste from
uranium removal, must be disposed of in accordance with IDAPA 58.01.10, "Rules
Regulating the Disposal of Radioactive Materials Not Regulated Under The Atomic
Energy Act of 1954, As Amended." (3-24-22)
i.
The buildup of radioactive materials such as uranium or radon and its decay
products shall be considered and adequate shielding and safeguards shall be
provided for operators and visitors. (3-24-22)
ii. Waste residuals containing naturally
occurring radioactive materials that have been concentrated by human activities
must be disposed of in an approved hazardous waste landfill (Class D), in
accordance with the IDAPA 58.01.10, "Rules Regulating the Disposal of
Radioactive Materials not Regulated Under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as
Amended," and IDAPA 58.01.06, "Solid Waste Management Rules."
(3-24-22)
iii. Waste residuals
containing greater than point zero five (.05) percent by weight of uranium are
subject to licensing and disposal under the regulations of the U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Region IV, 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400, Arlington,
TX 76011, Phone 817-860-8299. (3-24-22)
f. Arsenic Sludge. Solid waste residuals
containing arsenic at a concentration less than five (5) mg/l may be disposed
of at a sanitary landfill if permitted under IDAPA 58.01.06, "Solid Waste
Management Rules." Solid waste containing arsenic at a concentration greater
than five (5) mg/l must be disposed of at an approved hazardous waste landfill.
Liquid wastes generated by arsenic treatment processes are subject to the
handling and disposal requirements for liquid concentrates, as discussed under
Subsection 540.02.
(3-24-22)
04.
Spent
Media. Exhausted ion exchange media, adsorption media, disposable
filters, and other components of treatment processes that contain concentrated
contaminants shall be disposed of in accordance with IDAPA 58.01.06, "Solid
Waste Management Rules," and/or IDAPA 58.01.10, "Rules Regulating the Disposal
of Radioactive Materials not Regulated Under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as
Amended." (3-24-22)