ELECTROLYTIC TREATMENT OF OILY WASTEWATER
Gary R. Kramer, Owner
Kramer, Callahan and Associates
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87123
Archie Buyers, Lab Scientist III
Scientific Laboratory System
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106
Bob Brownlee, Environmental Engineer
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Co.
Amarillo, Texas 79171
INTRODUCTION
Wastewater produced at washing facdities, including automotive, aircraft or locomotive, may contain among other poUutants substantial quantities of a class of compounds
usually referred to as "od and grease" or "Freon extractables." Substances found in
this class of pollutants include: kerosene, lubricating ods and greases, diesel fuels,
"vegetable"  fats and oils, and other organics generally considered immiscible in water.
Ods and greases (OG) exist in two states in wastewater: dissolved or emulsified, and
free. Usually most of the OG is in the free state and can be removed efficiently by
simple gravity separation. Emulsified OG is not removed to a significant degree by that
procedure; therefore in some cases, secondary treatment becomes necessary to reduce
OG concentrations to acceptable levels.
The objectives of this project were to design, construct, operate and evaluate an experimental secondary wastewater treatment system for removing residual emulsified OG
from wastewater generated at a locomotive washing facdity. The experimental demonstration plant was located at the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe (ATSF) Radway in
Albuquerque, New Mexico, and was designed to treat the estimated 500 gal/day of
wastewater generated at the washing station. A schematic layout of the engine washing
site and location of the waste treatment test unit at Albuquerque is shown in Figure 1.
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"»««»«»«€    Figure 1. Schematic of ATSF washrack and
wastewater treatment facilities at
Albuqueme, New Mexico.
Oily wastewater from the washing station flows into the turntable pit where it is
conveyed by open channel to an underground pipe leading to the first stage of a gravity
separator. Wastewater was pumped to the treatment system from the bottom of the
second stage separator just below the wastewater inlet pipe from the first stage.
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