The nonferrous scrap metal recycler Calbag Metals Co., based in Oregon, has achieved full compliance with Oregon’s stormwater quality benchmarks due to its incorporation of the StormwateRx system, including the installation of the Clara and Aquip stormwater treatment system.
The StormwateRx solution uses the Clara stormwater separator for pretreating oil and grease. The company’s Aquip industrial stormwater filtration system removes suspended solids and metals. The combination helped Calbag significantly reduce the potential for pollutants to enter waterways from stormwater runoff at its facility.
In addition to installing the Clara and Aquip systems, Calbag has located receiving, storage and processing areas in covered portions of the site and deployed a sweeper to reduce particulates entering the system.
“After years of struggling to stay below permit benchmarks, despite consistent effort and all the right BMPs, we didn’t quite believe StormwateRx was going to get us there -- until we saw our first sampling results,” says Greg Will, operations manager at Calbag Metals. “The Aquip filter has vastly outperformed our previous filter system and brought us into full compliance. We’re now anticipating installation of an Aquip system at our Tacoma yard,” he adds.
The Calbag Portland recycling facility processes a range of nonferrous metals. The facility had been using catch basin inserts, along with an oil/water separator and a cartridge filter with compost media to treat the site’s stormwater prior to discharge. Though the cartridge filter noticeably reduced contaminants in Calbag’s stormwater discharge, it was not able to achieve adequate copper or zinc removal to meet the site’s stormwater permit requirements.
StormwateRx’s systems were installed in a treatment train approach that first passes stormwater runoff through the Clara plug-flow separator to reduce oil and grease and particulates as a pretreatment to the Aquip system. The Aquip industrial stormwater filtration system uses both inert and sorptive media to remove total suspended solids and metals from the stormwater.
“Calbag has made significant efforts to keep their stormwater runoff as clean as possible, and we are happy that we’ve been able to help them reach and exceed their benchmarks,” says Cal Noling, president and CEO of StormwateRx. “The Clara and Aquip systems work together to provide a high degree of pollutant removal, perfect for metal fabricators, scrap metal recycling facilities and any other industry where oils, metals and other particulates are a concern in stormwater runoff.”
More information can be found at www.stormwaterx.com.
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