Compressed air condensate is harmless.
The myth: Compressed air condensate is a harmless by-product of all compressors and can be discharged directly to the earth, sewer and storm water.
Moisture removal is necessary
The removal of moisture from compressed air is essential. If moisture is permitted to pass through the air compressor, associated pipe work and end-user equipment, the results can be disastrous. Entrained moisture can cause rust, dirt build-up, clogging and bacterial growth, and has the potential to bring about the failure of expensive ancillary equipment and compressed air reticulation systems.
Environmental damage
Most modern compressors are equipped with effective moisture-removal technology. Separators, filters and dryers ensure contaminants – such as water, oil and particulates – are removed, delivering compressed air up to 99,999% purity. This liquid combination of waste products is referred to as compressed air condensate.
Many compressor owners consider condensate as wastewater, and regard discharging it directly to the ground, sewer and storm water as acceptable. This is not the case, especially if the air compressor employs hydrocarbon-based lubricants. In fact, compressed air condensates often contain harmful hydrocarbons and particulates, with the potential to cause environmental damage.
Discharging condensate directly into surrounding earth or unbundled concrete foundations can be extremely problematic. Condensate ingress into surrounding soil can result in site-wide contamination that requires costly clean up procedures. In some cases, businesses can be held responsible for the contamination years after moving from the property. Condensate run-off can also find its way into storm water drains, effectively extending the impact of contamination.
Business risk
Unauthorised disposal of contaminated fluids, such as compressed air condensate, into storm water drains is highly illegal, and will result in a heavy fine from the environmental protection authorities. They do not actually need to catch the perpetrators in the act, as it is easy to trace pollutants back to the source of contamination.
The right thing to do
By disposing compressed air condensate correctly, businesses can avoid such environmental damage and associated fines. There are two legal condensate disposal methods. With written approval from the local sewage authority, users are permitted to discharge some compressed air condensates to sewer. The authority determines if the condensate is safe or not. This is normally dependent on the type of lubricant used in the compressor.
Usually biodegradable or non-hydrocarbon lubricants are able to be discharged to sewer, precluding the need for costly oil/water separators. Alternatively, condensates (especially those consisting of non-biodegradable lubricants) should be removed from site by a certified waste disposal company.
Conclusion
Discharging compressed air condensate directly to the earth and storm water is illegal, and can result in long lasting environmental damage and heavy fines. All compressed air condensates can be removed from site by a certified waste disposal company, while some condensates can be legally disposed of (with permission) into the sewage system.
For more information contact Kevin Rushmer, Arthur Rushmer Engineering, +27 (0)11 908 4169, [email protected], www.are.co.za
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