Consolidating River Sediment
MDS (Mobile Dewatering System) Geotube® containers were used to remove river sediment from the water treatment system at this electric power plant. WaterSolve provided a complete turnkey solution, including chemical conditioning, polymer feed, and on-site management to ensure efficient dewatering and compliance.
DOWNLOAD PDFApplications & ProductsGeotextile Tube Containers, DewateringServicesComplete Solution, Turnkey Project ManagementIndustryPower and UtilitiesLocationNew Jersey, USA
MDS Tubes
These 2 MDS tubes in the dumpsters are being filled at the same time.
Tank Pumping Sediment
The blue tank on the right contains the river sediment and it is being pumped into the Geotube® containers on the left
River Sediment
This is the river sediment being pumped to the Geotubes® containers
OBJECTIVE
This New Jersey electric power generation facility needed to remove the river sediment from the settling tank and clarifier. The settling tank was full, and the clarifier required its regular inspection. The managers wanted a timely and cost-effective approach to dewatering the sediment for subsequent hauling to a landfill.
WATERSOLVE’S CHEMICAL CONDITIONING
A representative sample of the sediment was sent to the WaterSolve laboratory. Dewatering polymers were evaluated based on water release rate, water clarity, and flocculent appearance. Solve 162 was selected as the most effective treatment at the lowest dose.
GEOTUBE® CONTAINER SIZING
Geotube® containers are manufactured from high strength polypropylene fabric and designed to allow effluent water to escape through the pores of the fabric while retaining the chemically conditioned solids. The MDS Geotube® fits in a 30 cubic yard dumpster. As few as 2 and as many as 5 containers were used during several pumping events at the facility.
THE SOLUTION
WaterSolve was contracted to provide a turnkey process in New Jersey to dewater the river sediment. Two technicians have been on site for several cleaning events. A 3” trash pump is used to transfer the sediment from the facility to the MDS Geotube® containers. A polymer make-down unit injected the polymer into a 3” mixing manifold. The MDS tubes were deployed in special dewatering dumpsters with cradles to suspend the tubes from the sidewalls and floor of the dumpsters. A 3” piping system was connected to the bottom of each dumpster so water could be collected and returned to a sump. The technicians monitored the flow and treatment of the polymer as well as the heights of the Geotubes ® containers. These tubes are pulse filled several times. The typical pumping method was filling the tubes twice the first day and twice the second day. At the end of the second day the equipment is packed up and the tubes are left on site until they pass paint filter testing. This is currently the standard practice for this electric power plant, and they are making plans to make this a permanent operation at the plant.
