From Refinery Wastes to Pure Water
WALTER T. McPHEE, Vice President
and
ARNOLD R. SMITH, Senior Engineer
Hydrotechnic Corporation
New York, New York
It is not too often that a consulting engineering firm is given a problem
similar to the one Hydrotechnic faced four yrs ago -- converting refinery waste
water to water fit to drink. In its early stages the problem was no more challenging than many others that have been faced, but things began to take on a
different light as progress was made. The project became more and more
fascinating as well as more difficult. As a matter of fact, we became so
fascinated that at one period we wondered: could criticism be made because
of overdesign? After the whole picture was put together, however, it was evident that what was being done was totally justified.
It should be noted that while Hydrotechnic did the process design and the
layout of the facilities, Cities Service Limited was ably represented for consultation by Dr. John D. Frame, the company's industrial waste consultant,
and by the technical personnel of the company, headed by Vice President
Vivian Sicks.
HISTORY
In 1957, the Cities Service Oil Company Limited of Toronto, Canada, decided to construct a 20,000 barrel a day integrated refinery in the town of
Trafalgar. The town is located on the western shore of Lake Ontario about
midway between Hamilton and Toronto, and consists of farming, residential,
and resort areas. A town in Canada is equivalent to a township in the United
States (Figures 1 and 2).
As it is with most areas near a large metropolis, this area was growth
conscious and to control the expected expansion, it was enacted a fairly comprehensive zoning ordinance. Although the town would permit industries under the ordinance, it did not believe carte blanche approvals should be given.
The idea of large tax revenues was naturally very attractive. The nuisances
that accompany some industries -- noise, air pollution, and stream pollution
--were definitely not welcome. Before construction permits would be issued,
certain conditions had to be met with respect to these potential nuisances.
Among other things, there was a fear that the water-borne wastes from
the refinery would affect the quality of the water drawn from the lake for
municipal water supplies. Even a small amount of phenolic compounds would
react with the chlorine used for disinfection of municipal water to produce
obnoxious chlorophenols.
The village of Bronte, located in the town of Trafalgar and the closest
village to the proposed refinery, uses Lake Ontario as a water source. The
water system intake is located several thousand ft offshore, not too far from
the point on the shore where the new refinery would bring their effluent sewer
and also locate their own water intake. The refinery itself was not to be located on the edge of the lake but rather on a site some two miles inland. The
town's zoning ordinance would not permit industrial construction on lake-
front property.
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