CASE HISTORY: Pharmaceutical Company (United States)
APPLICATION: Treatment of High-Strength Contaminated Groundwater

Challenge
Hazardous waste site had groundwater with COD values ranging from 80,000 to 200,000 mg/l with high TDS. An estimated 40,000,000 gallons needed to be treated. With an off-site disposal cost over $1/gallon, an on-site treatment approach was logical.

Solution
Conventional aerobic treatment, anaerobic treatment, and an AFC system were evaluated. The AFC system was selected to treat the groundwater to enable the plant to minimize sludge production.

Bottom Line
• Construction of new AFC system cost about $1.5 million

• Full-scale system has been on-line for more than six years achieving 99% COD removal with almost no sludge production saving about $1.0 million/year in hauling costs.

• Effluent COD from the system is less than 50 mg/L with a feed COD of almost 30,000 mg/L after almost three years of operation. Effluent BOD is non-detect with an influent BOD over 17,000 mg/L.