How Did Reichhold Chemical Corp. Achieve Zero Oil Discharge and Improve Drain Water Quality
Consistent Oil Capture That Supported Cleaner Effluent and Long-Term Environmental Compliance
Chemical manufacturing facilities operate under strict environmental controls, especially when it comes to wastewater and stormwater discharge. Even trace amounts of oil in plant drainage systems must be managed to meet regulatory expectations and maintain environmental stewardship.
At Reichhold Chemical Corp., an oil removal solution from Abanaki Corporation was implemented to continuously remove small but persistent traces of oil from plant drain, washdown, and stormwater systems.
The result was near-zero oil discharge into the receiving water system, helping the facility maintain compliance while minimizing maintenance effort.
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The Challenge: Trace Oil Contamination in Plant Drain and Stormwater Systems
At the Reichhold facility in St. Helens, Oregon, plant drainage systems collected water from multiple sources, including:
- Floor and street drains
- Equipment washdown areas
- Stormwater runoff
- Minor drippage from compressors, vehicles, and maintenance activities
Although the volume of oil contamination was extremely low, regulatory standards required near-elimination of hydrocarbons before discharge into the Columbia River.
This created several operational challenges:
- Continuous presence of trace oil in drainage streams
- Strict environmental discharge requirements with near-zero tolerance
- Difficulty capturing very small concentrations of floating oil
- Need for a low-maintenance, continuous treatment method
- Seasonal variability from rainfall and runoff events
The facility needed a reliable system capable of removing very small quantities of oil without disrupting existing drainage infrastructure.
The Solution and Results: Abanaki Belt Oil Skimming System for Continuous Low-Load Oil Removal
To address these requirements, Reichhold installed belt oil skimming systems from Abanaki Corporation within its API separator and plant drainage collection system.
Drainage, washdown, and stormwater streams were routed into settling chambers where oil was allowed to rise to the surface and then continuously removed using an 8-inch stainless steel belt skimmer. A second skimmer was also used on a dedicated sump serving the urea plant, where recovered water was further processed and reused.
The system continuously captured trace oil from water surfaces and transferred it to holding tanks for disposal or further handling.
Operational improvements and results included:
- Continuous removal of trace oil from plant drainage and stormwater systems
- Effective capture of very low oil concentrations that are difficult to treat with conventional methods
- Reduced risk of oil reaching downstream water bodies
- Reliable performance across both general plant drainage and process-specific streams
- Minimal operator intervention and low-maintenance operation
Results:
- Achieved near-zero oil discharge into the receiving water system (Columbia River)
- Sustained compliance with strict environmental discharge expectations
These results demonstrate effective long-term control of trace oil contamination in a highly regulated discharge environment.
Why Chemical Plants Use Belt Oil Skimmers
Chemical manufacturing facilities use belt oil skimming systems to:
- Maintain compliance with strict discharge regulations
- Remove trace hydrocarbons from stormwater systems
- Improve reliability of wastewater pretreatment systems
- Reduce environmental risk exposure
- Support continuous, low-maintenance operation
Looking for a Reliable Low-Load Oil Removal Solution?
Even trace oil contamination in plant drainage systems can create compliance and environmental challenges.
Continuous belt skimming technology from Abanaki Corporation provides a dependable method for achieving near-zero discharge levels, improving water quality, and reducing maintenance demands in chemical processing environments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is oil removal needed even when contamination is minimal?
Because environmental regulations often require near-zero discharge of hydrocarbons.
What makes trace oil difficult to remove?
Very low concentrations of oil are difficult for conventional separation systems to capture efficiently.
How effective are belt oil skimmers in this type of application?
They are highly effective for continuous removal of small amounts of floating oil.
What was the key outcome in this case?
The system achieved near-zero oil discharge to the receiving water body.
