65    INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT AS A
NATIONAL PROGRAM AT CUMMINS ENGINE
COMPANY
Todd P. Swingle, Engineer
Parsons Engineering Science, Inc.
Winter Park, Florida 32822
Charles J. Baylot, Technical Manager of O&M
Parsons Engineering Science, Inc.
Atlanta, Georgia 30329
Theodore L. Roberts, Health, Safety, and Environmental Management—Director
Cummins Engine Company
Columbus, Indiana 42701
INTRODUCTION
Many industries have been impacted and continue to feel the impacts of increasing regulatory
requirements for environmental cleanup and waste treatment programs. The approach of today's
industry must be twofold: remediation of existing contamination, if encountered, and implementation of processes and procedures to prevent future releases to the environment.
Cummins Engine Company, Inc. (CECo) working in partnership with Parsons Engineering
Science, Inc. (Parsons ES) and several other US and Canadian consultants have initiated a program to achieve this goal and improve the effectiveness and operability of its wastewater collection, storage, and treatment systems. These improvements are accomplished while minimizing
impacts to facility operations during implementation of construction activities. The goals of prevention of releases to the environment and improvement of wastewater system effectiveness and
operability are largely achieved by facility improvements which include adaptation of larger-
scale industrial wastewater treatment practices to the small-scale facilities within the widespread
CECo distributorship network.
CECo has a nationwide network of distribution facilities, which perform both sales and service
operations on diesel engines and other Cummins equipment. Services often include cleaning of
engines, parts, and vehicles with high pressure water or steam in combination with various detergents. These cleaning operations produce a wastewater that contains oil in both the free and
emulsified states, grease, grit, and dirt typical of road grime. The wastewater management systems at these facilities have historically included concrete trench drains, sand traps, and sumps
for collection and storage of oily wastewater, followed by a standard gravity type oil/water separator. Based upon a proactive review of these wastewater collection, storage, and treatment systems, below-grade concrete structures and wastewater treatment equipment have been identified
as potential sources of contamination over time. Additionally, the efficiency and dependability of
the oil/water separator has been inadequate. As a result, CECo has instituted a proactive program
designed to institute improved systems for managing industrial wastewater at its facilities (including 100% recycle/closed loop systems at many facilities) to prevent future releases from occurring, and to conduct simultaneous remediation of contamination, if present.
Although the wastewater systems developed through this program utilize traditional
physical/chemical treatment operations, the challenges of successfully implementing this type of
wastewater treatment system in a manner that is cost-effective and operable by onsite personnel
are great. The system and management program that has been developed demonstrates the suc-
51st Purdue Industrial Waste Conference Proceedings. 1996, Ann Arbor Press, Inc., Chelsea. Michigan 48118.
Printed in U.S.A.
637