BNIA Engineered Wetlands

Our Airports Stromwater Treatment System

May 23, 2012

ACI Deicing Conference

Mark Clark –Sr. Aviation Planner

Buffalo Niagara International Airport

130 daily flights, 27 gates

96” Avg. snow fall

330 ,000 – 350,000 gallons glycol (100%)

1.2 MGD stormwater runoff

“At gate” Deicing System

Airline decision

1995-96 built a parallel storm system with a dedicated

storm and spent glycol lines

Use of both GRV’s and POTW

Have a dedicated snow melt pad for “pink snow”

What needs to be treated?

Will require +/- 15 million gallons for 10 year storm

Would require about 25 million gallons for 100 year storm

Air Cargo

How we progressed since 1990

“like chasing a ghost”

Meeting SPDES 30Mg/L BOD

1990 No Spent Glycol pick up at all – permit kicked in

Airlines chose to have at gate deicing and not a decentralized dedicated site

1996 Set up parallel system when built new terminal apron 200,000 gal UST to BSA

In early 2000 we added in another 800,000 gallons of underground storage

Sent everything to POTW

Cost to treat at POTW = $1,200 - $4,500

Use GRV’s and refractormeters n hopes of recycling with contract for incentives

Issues as we chased this ghost

Issues with jet blast glycol onto grassy areas

Snow removal in slushy conditions

Airlines not staying within designated deicing areas

GSE Equipment running tracking through spent glycol

TOC conveyance system began restrictions and complained of pump house odors

Created flooding of our 3 mil basin, went septic and more issues

BSA decided they needed big bucks to treat went from $4,500 to over $225,000.

Always looking to improve and to identify alternatives

Alternatives Dedicated sewer line to POTW

Anaerobic/aerobic onsite treatment

Membrane bioreactors

Recycling

Infratek systems

Reed bed subsurface wetland

Decentralized deicing w/ recycling

Get NYSDEC Relief from 30Mg/L BOD5

Subsurface engineered wetland

Traditional Wastewater Treatment Engineered Wetland in India

Advantages

Low operating costs

Effective treatment for stormwater

Totally Green Process

Aesthetics

No odor

Disadvantages Concerns Space constraints

Wild Life

Unknown costs

Odor

Will it work

We took a leap of faith & decided to “Go for it”

2006 -Treatability study showing

>95% reduction in BOD

2007- Design phase completed

2008- Construction started

2009- Construction Completed

and operational for 2009/2010

Deicing Season

Process Sizing and Layout

Cells are designed for a total

load of 10,000 pounds of

oxygen demand per day

4 Cells - Each cell

approximately 175’x300’

With cells, retention tanks ,

& piping , approximate

glycol storage is over 12

million gallons

Evaluating Peak Events

BNIA required peak shaving volume

assuming max. treatment of 10,000 BOD 5 lb/day

December 2002 - January 2007

0

1,000,000

2,000,000

3,000,000

4,000,000

5,000,000

6,000,000

7,000,000

8,000,000

9,000,000

10,000,000

12

/13

/02

2/1

3/0

3

4/1

3/0

3

6/1

3/0

3

8/1

3/0

3

10

/13

/03

12

/13

/03

2/1

3/0

4

4/1

3/0

4

6/1

3/0

4

8/1

3/0

4

10

/13

/04

12

/13

/04

2/1

3/0

5

4/1

3/0

5

6/1

3/0

5

8/1

3/0

5

10

/13

/05

12

/13

/05

2/1

3/0

6

4/1

3/0

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6/1

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3/0

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10

/13

/06

12

/13

/06

Date

Co

ncen

tra

te in

sto

ra

ge

(ga

l)

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

Da

ily

BO

D

5

lo

ad

ing

fro

m

co

llect

ion

sy

stem

(lb

/da

y)

Concentrate in storage

Daily concentrate BOD5

loading from collection

system large peak events

How we Built it

Construction

The Finished Product

BNIA’s Engineered Wetlands

How does it work?

This is how

5/31/2012

Nitrogen & Phosphorus

Glycol Treatment

Glycols are readily

degradable or “eaten” by

bacteria

Propylene Glycol

Cake mix, chewing gum, salad

dressing, soft drinks, popcorn

Lotions & creams

Cosmetics, shampoo

Cleaners

Baby wipes

Found in:

How do we manage the system?

Like an Aquarium Temperature, Food, Shelter, PH and Oxygen

50 to 55 degrees underground

Temperature

Food

Shelter

PH

Oxygen

Glycol, oils and grease

Mulch & Topsoil

Keep it balanced

Pumped in

Just the Facts

System is a Stormwater system which treats spent glycol

Will treat EG, PG, oils and grease

System initially (only once) injected with designed bacteria

Treatment is with Nitrogen & Phosphorus (Fertilizer)

On-line full time TOC and Nitrogen Monitoring

Treatment duration usually 1-2 days, 3 days max

Cost to build = $10,000,000

Cost to operate = 1st year $100,000 now less than $50,000 year

No additional staff required

The Results ?

We have not exceeded our permit level of 30 mg/l

in the past 18 months

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

2009/10 Wetland Treatment Performance

Total Organic Carbon (mg/L)

Influent Effluent

Some stats

2009 -2010 72.7% reduction in lbs of effluent discharged

2010-2011 89.9% reduction in lbs of effluent discharged

What comes in – What goes out

Before After

Questions?