Project:
Superfund Site
Bottom Line: Working together with drinking water regulators, global experts, and water purveyors to design a safe, optimal, and operable groundwater treatment plant.
Summary of Project
The site is an EPA Superfund Operable Unit in Los Angeles County, California. For this groundwater cleanup project, the site remedial action includes extracting groundwater, treating it to drinking water standards, and providing the treated water to a water purveyor for distribution to its customers. In addition to removal of toxic compounds, a treatment plant will also process the water to meet aesthetic requirements required for the potable water supply. Orion designed a groundwater treatment system that included extraction wells, conveyance piping, treatment units for multiple contaminants, and distribution to a water purveyor.
- Assisted the client with evaluation and selection of a property for the treatment plant.
- Worked with water purveyors and the California Division of Drinking Water (DDW) to design a treatment plant that will provide drinking water in accordance with the State’s “97-005 Guidance for Direct Domestic Use of Extremely Impaired Sources.”
- Worked with the treatment plant operator to specify system components for cost-effective operation, maintenance, and monitoring
- Developed extensive engineering cost estimates for a feasibility study, discharge option study, and client project life-cycle evaluation. Prepared budgets for equipment procurement, installation, permitting, and operation for multiple scenarios with multiple end uses.
- Evaluated and selected technologies to treat groundwater impacted with chlorinated solvents (PCE, TCE, 1,1-DCE, and 1,2-DCA), 1,4-dioxane, perchlorate, total dissolved solids, selenium, and other substances to meet the Division of Drinking Water DDW 97-005 requirements for drinking water.
- Designed a 2,000-gpm groundwater remediation system including technologies such as air stripping, ion exchange resin, UV-oxidation, reverse osmosis, and granular activated carbon. Prepared design drawings for (1) wellheads, (2) 9,000+ feet of conveyance pipeline, (3) treatment plant, and (4) brine wastewater line. Prepared bid documents, design basis report, and technical specifications. Also prepared 3-dimensional immersive renderings of treatment plant to communicate treatment plant layout to future operators and city planning departments.
- Managed construction and system testing. Provided oversight for construction of treatment system including installation of a jack-and-bore beneath a railroad and 20,000-lb. liquid-phase granular activated carbon vessels to treat VOCs. Coordinated system testing, including pipeline pressure testing, controls/signals testing, and analytical testing of groundwater using drinking water methods.