Shipyards are facing increased regulation of stormwater discharges through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting process.
The development of low-cost but effective stormwater control, collection, and treatment alternatives is necessary to minimize environmental compliance costs at U.S. shipyards and strengthen the public image of shipyards as stewards of the environment.
This paper presents an assessment of alternatives for managing shipyard stormwater and preliminary results for an innovative technology currently undergoing testing.
It is always more cost-effective to implement source control and BMPs to prevent pollution rather than collect and treat stormwater to remove pollutants after the fact.
Recently, pilot-scale testing of organic-based filtration has proven to be a more economical treatment alternative.
The results of the screening survey indicated that organic-based enhanced filtration would be a viable alternative to remove metals from shipyard stormwater.
During this study, stormwater from two active shipyards was tested with three organic-based filtration media produced from leaf compost, peat, and other humic substances.
Demonstration of Enhanced Filtration for Treatment of Shipyard Stormwater San Diego, California.
Design Report prepared for National Shipbuilding Research Program, July 2000.
Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center (PPRC) 1997.
Pollution Prevention at Shipyards, Seattle, Washington, September 1997.
Influent concentrations are the average for six representative shipyards located in the Puget Sound region of Washington State.
Effluent requirements from “Water Quality Standards For Surface Waters Of The State Of Washington (Chapter 173-201A WAC) and are based on chronic toxicity.
Influent concentrations are the average for drainage SW-3 at the NASSCO shipyard in San Diego, California.
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