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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Characterization and treatment evaluation of hydrostatic test water effluent

Book ·
OSTI ID:6226177

The AGA Pipeline Research Committee reports that pit sedimentation offers a simple and effective method for treating hydrostatic test water effluents. Magnetic filtration, which was successfully tested in the laboratory scale, may also provide a 2nd method if it is successfully field-tested and if prolems of equipment costs can be resolved. The report is based on an investigation of the pollution aspects of hydrostatic test effluents which included the study of the existing and new 1972 water pollution laws, the characterization of the hydrostatic test water effluent as a possible pollutant, and evaluation of treatment methods prior to returning the effluent to the receiving waters. Pollution of the test water was found to depend on the chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration, the iron concentration, and pipeline service. The COD and iron concentrations are generally low in new pipelines and high in old pipelines. In the latter, the effluent water must be treated before it is returned to the receiving state waters. The investigation also established the existence of a break point for both COD and iron concentrations near the end of the dewatering process in old pipelines. This break point generally occurs when 0.6 mi of dewatering remains. Both COD and iron concentrations are shown to remain relatively constant at about 30 mg/l each before the break point, increasing rapidly to 400 mg/l and 1100 mg/l afterward. New lines generally experience either no break point or only a mild one with COD concentrations of about 20 mg/l and <5 mg/l iron concentrations, which require no water treatment.

OSTI ID:
6226177
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English