Comprehensive Stormwater Pollution Solutions for Remote Fuel Farms

Global Water successfully designed and implemented a stormwater treatment system for a remote fuel farm in far north South Australia. This project presented important environmental challenges and highlights the importance of stormwater pollution prevention, particularly the containment and removal of harmful hydrocarbons from fuel spills and stormwater run-off with the Full Retention EcoTreat FR-7 system.

The Challenges

The remote fuel farm faced a primary challenge: managing hydrocarbon pollution in stormwater runoff, especially during heavy rainfall. Removing these pollutants is crucial because they harm the environment, threaten ecosystems and violate regulations.

To address this primary challenge, two key aspects needed solutions:

• Hydrocarbon Removal During Spills: The system needed to effectively remove hydrocarbons from the water in case of a fuel spill.

• Storage Capacity for Extreme Rainfall: The system also required sufficient storage capacity for untreated water during a 1-in-100-year rainfall event.

Key parameters 

To address the challenges at the remote fuel farm, Global Water collaborated with the client and industry experts to design a customised stormwater treatment solution, considering these key aspects:

• Understanding Specifications: Through consultations and planning sessions, the team identified the specific requirements and constraints of the project. This included factors like the number of pollutants to remove, desired flow rate (14L/s), and the rainfall events for the specific region.

• Storage Capacity for Rainfall Events: Accurate calculations were made to ensure enough storage for untreated water during a 1-in-100-year rainfall event for 20 minutes. This involved considering the catchment area size and the specific rainfall data for the location.

• Meeting EPA Requirements: The solution needed to comply with regulations set by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) for pollutant reduction. 

the solution

To address the challenge of preventing stormwater pollution at the fuel farm, we implemented the Global Water Full Retention EcoTreat FR-7. This system is both effective and environmentally friendly, made from durable rotomolded plastic. It’s featured key components: 

• 5000L Catchment Tank: This large tank provides ample storage for untreated water during heavy rainfall events for this region.

• Oil Alert Probe and Solar Control Panel: Real-time oil contamination detection is ensured through this early warning system.

• SMS-Auto Dialer: The control panel allows for remote monitoring and sends automatic SMS alerts to the maintenance team, improving response efficiency. 

• Pollution reduction: The chosen EcoTreat system effectively removes 73% of Total Suspended Solids (TSS), 19% of Total Phosphorus (TP), and 7% of Total Nitrogen (TN) from contaminated water.

Throughout the entire process, our team provided hands-on assistance during the installation and commissioning phases, ensuring all components were seamlessly integrated and fully functional.

the results

The collaboration between the client and Global Water resulted in the successful implementation of a customised stormwater treatment solution that meets industry standards. By using the Full Retention EcoTreat FR-7, the quality of water improved as the hydrocarbons were removed from both catastrophic spill events and day-to-day hydrocarbon run-off. This project highlights the balance of commercial viability and environmental sustainability. 

Considering Implementing a Stormwater Treatment System? 

Contact Global Water today to discuss the most effective product for your project or check out our EcoTreat Full Retention brochure for more information. Our stormwater treatment range includes EcoTreat Class 1 Bypass Devices, EcoTreat Class 1 Full Retention Devices, EcoTreat Bypass Interceptors and EcoTreat GPTs.