Containment and Disposal

of Waste Water
in HP and UHPWJ
Operations
Richard A. Burgess
KTA-Tator, Inc.

Containment and Disposal of

Waste Water in HP and UHPWJ
Operations
Overview of HPWJ & UHPWJ Surface Preparation
Waste Generation Issues Unique to HPWJ & UHPWJ
General Containment Design ConsiderationsGuide 6
Management of Wastes Generated
Disposal Options

Overview of HPWJ & UHPWJ

Surface Preparation
Equipment
Definitions and Terminology
Cleanliness Standards

HPWJ Ships Hull with

Lances

Jetting Lance
Rotating
Barrel and 5
Jet Tips

Remotely Operated UnitShip

Different
Design of
Remotely
Operated
Waterjetting
Unit

Hand Held Shrouded WJ Unit

Definitions and Terminology

Waterjetting (WJ): Use of standard jetting
water discharged from a nozzle at
pressures of 70 MPa (10,000 psig) or
greater to prepare a surface for coating or
inspection.
Water Cleaning (WC): Use of pressurized
water discharged from a nozzle to
remove unwanted matter from a surface.

Definitions and Terminology

Low-Pressure Water Cleaning (LP WC):
Water cleaning performed at pressures less
than 34 MPa (5,000 psig). This is also called
power washing or pressure washing.
High-Pressure Water Cleaning (HP WC):
Water cleaning performed at pressures
from 34 to 70 MPa (5,000 to 10,000 psig).

Definitions and Terminology

High-Pressure Waterjetting (HP WJ):
Waterjetting performed at pressures from 70
to 210 Mpa (10,000 to 30,000 psig).
Ultrahigh-Pressure Waterjetting (UHP WJ):
Waterjetting performed at pressures above
210 Mpa (30,000 psig).

Cleanliness Standards
Joint Surface Preparation Standard

SSPC-SP 12/NACE No. 5

Surface Preparation and Cleaning of
Metals by
Waterjetting Prior to Recoating
Revised July 2002
Approved 1995

Cleanliness Standards
WJ-1 Clean to Bare Substrate: A
WJ-1 surface shall be cleaned to a
finish which, when viewed without
magnification, is free of all visible rust,
dirt, previous coatings, mill scale, and
foreign matter.
Discoloration of the surface may be
present.

Cleanliness Standards
WJ-2 Very Thorough or Substantial
Cleaning: A WJ-2 surface shall be cleaned
to a matte (dull, mottled) finish which,
when viewed without magnification, is
free of all visible oil, grease, dirt, and rust
except for randomly dispersed stains of
rust, tightly adherent thin coatings, and
other tightly adherent foreign matter.
The staining or tightly adherent matter is
limited to a maximum of 5% of the
surface.

Cleanliness Standards
WJ-3 Thorough Cleaning: A WJ-3 surface
shall be cleaned to a matte (dull, mottled)
finish which, when viewed without
magnification, is free of all visible oil,
grease, dirt, and rust except for randomly
dispersed stains of rust, tightly adherent
thin coatings, and other tightly adherent
foreign matter.
The staining or tightly adherent matter is
limited to a maximum of 33% of the surface.

Cleanliness Standards
WJ-4 Light Cleaning: A WJ-4 surface
shall be cleaned to a finish which, when
viewed without magnification, is free of
all visible oil, grease, dirt, dust, loose
mill scale, loose rust, and loose coating.
Any residual material shall be tightly
adherent.
(Dull Putty Knife Test)

Cleaning a Tank Interior

1.4
Visual
Reference
Photographs:
SSPC-VIS
4/NACE VIS 7, Guide and
Reference Photographs for
Steel
Surfaces
Prepared
by
Waterjetting, provides color
photographs for the various
grades of surface preparation
as a function of the initial
condition of the steel. The
latest issue of the reference
photographs should be used.

Initial Condition H
Deteriorated brittle
multi-coat painting
system

Pressure and Flow Rate

Pressure at Nozzle 70 MPa (10,000 psig)
Flow 12.9 L/min (3.42 gpm)
Pressure at Nozzle 140 MPa (20,000 psig)
Flow 8.3 L/min (2.2 gpm)
Pressure at Nozzle 280 MPa (40,000 psig)
Flow 2.0 L/min (0.52 gpm)

Energy
70-MPa (10,000-psig)
Jets may not significantly erode the
coatings- they are typically used for
partial removal or for cleaning loose
detritus

Energy
140-MPa (20,000-psig)
Jets erode the coatings fairly rapidlytypically used for partial removal.

Energy
280-MPa (40,000-psig)
Jets erode and destroy coatings very
fast -typically used when most or all
of the coating is to be removed

Quantity of Waste Water

PSI

GPM

Lbs/Hra

Ft3/Hr

10,000

3.4

1700

27.4

20,000

2.2

1102

17.6

40,000b

260

4.2

a-A gallon of water weighs 8.34 lbs.

b-At this level of energy surfaces dry quickly due to heat

Production Rates
Selective stripping of outer hull
coatings open-cycle, hand held
lance39 ft2/hr/gun - 89 ft2/hr/gun.
Sweep and spot water-blast inside of
tanks with hand-held lances157 ft2/hr/gun - 171 ft2/hr/gun

Production Rates
Sweep and spot water-blast of outer
hull coatings with hand-held lances
Average, 198 ft2/hr/gun
Complete removal of severely
damaged outer hull coatings with
hand-held lancesAverage, 152 ft2/hr/gun

Production Rates
Automated
Complete removal of non-skid flight
deck to bare metal closed loop
machineAverage, 134 ft2/hr/unit.
Complete removal of outer hull
coatings to bare metal open-cycle
machineAverage, 471 ft2/hr/unit.

Waste Stream
Characteristics
Influenced by
The condition of the existing coating
Pressures employed
Volume of water used

Waste Generation Issues

Unique to HPWJ & UHPWJ

Mists and Gravity

Quantity-Flow Rate and Volume
EnergyFluids
Slurries
Sludges
Solids

Mists and Gravity

Mists, droplets of water suspended in
the air that can contain small
particulates including pigments and
particles of coating
Water flows due to gravity, just like
abrasives- but water will find and
collect in the lowest point- seeks it
own level.

Fluids Slurries Sludges

Solids
Fluid, liquid water where the solids content
does not influence the flow or movement
Slurry, liquid water with suspended
insoluble solids being carried and
influencing flow
Sludge, wet or moist solids that settle and
resist flow
Solids, mostly caked particles with little
moisture content

General Containment Design

Considerations, SSPC-Guide 6

Containment Classes
Materials, Penetrability and Permeability

Containment Classes
Ventilation

Table W Containment Notes

Note 1: When designing a ventilation system, care must be taken to

balance the static pressure with the input airflow to avoid collapsing
the containment or ductwork due to high negative pressure.

Note 2: The table occasionally identifies two options for a given

component. For example, containment materials (5.3.1) are shown
as being either rigid or flexible. If the specifier requires the use of
rigid materials only, this restriction must be specified separately.

Note 3: Class 4W will capture dislodged paint chips and debris, but
will not contain the water used for cleaning.

* When vacuum shrouded waterjetting is employed, ground covers

or free-hanging tarpaulins may provide controls equivalent to Class
1W.

Management of Wastes
Generated
What are the characteristics of the
Coating
(brittle, soft, loose, thick or
thin, layers)
Constituents of Coating (lead, no-Lead,
other metals, asbestos, etc. )
Service Environment (urban, watershed,
public use, industrial use, etc.)
Waste stream characteristics (liquid,
slurry, sludge, solids)

Total and Dissolved Heavy

Metals

Separating Lead in Wash Water by Physical

Means
Example- All Lead
100 grams in Wash Water
100%
80 grams in Screened Wash Water
80%
18 grams in Filtered (5) Wash Water 18%
0.24 grams are dissolved metal
0.24%

Dissolved Metals, 0.45 filter

Full Containment and

Collection
Designed to keep water from storm
drains and running off site- portable
containment pools or pits
Manufactured wastewater collection
systems- pits to close-loop self
contained units
Wet/dry vacuums, sump pumps,
diaphragm pumps

Collection and Handling

Options
No collection required, separation of
solids from the liquid by screen or geotextile. Retention requirement for solids.
Collection required, separation of large
solids, filter to remove small solids. Test
and open discharge.
Collection required, separation of large
solids, filter to remove small solids. Test
and controlled discharge.

NON-LEAD BASED PAINT REMOVAL

PROJECTS
(Example)
Water washing of the bridge for the purpose of removing chalk, dirt,
grease, oil, bird nests, and other surface debris can be performed
without additional containment provided paint chips and removed
debris are removed and collected prior to washing or are cleaned
from the site after cleaning is completed each day.
At the Contractors option, SSPC Class 4W permeable containment
materials described above under Water Jetting or Wet Abrasive
Blast Cleaning for the Removal of Paint can be used to collect the
debris while the washing is underway.

LEAD BASED PAINT REMOVAL

PROJECTS
(Example)
Water washing of the bridge for the purpose of removing chalk, dirt, grease, oil,
bird nests, and other surface debris, and water jetting or wet abrasive blast
cleaning for the purpose of removing paint and surface debris shall be
conducted within a containment designed, installed, and maintained in order
to capture and contain all water and waste materials. (SSPC Class 2W-3W)
When water is used for surface cleaning, the collected water shall be filtered to
separate the particulate from the water. Recycling of the water is preferred in
order to reduce the volume of waste that is generated.
The water after filtration shall be collected and disposed of according to the
waste handling portions of this specification.
When a slurry is created by injecting water into the abrasive blast stream, the
slurry need not be filtered to separate water from the particulate.

LEAD PAINT REMOVAL PROJECTS

(Example)
Waste water generated from bridge washing, hygiene purposes,
and cleaning of equipment shall be filtered on site to remove
particulate and disposed of at a Publicly Owned Treatment
Works (POTW) according to State regulations.
The Contractor shall provide the Engineer with a letter from the
POTW indicating that they will accept the waste water. If the
POTW allows the filtered water to be placed into the sanitary
sewer system, the Contractor shall provide a letter from the
POTW indicating that based on the test results of the water,
disposal in the sanitary sewer is acceptable to them.
Water shall not be disposed of until the above letter(s) are
provided to, and accepted by, the Engineer.

Recycling Water
Minimize water consumption
Minimize waste quantities
Cleaning Recycled Water

Waste Streams

Waterjetting Waste Water

Hygiene Water
Screened solids
Filtered Solids, Filters

Hand Wash Station- Hygiene

Water

Inline Water Filters

Sequentially Smaller Filter
Sizes

Water Storage Following

Filtration

Gray Water Storage

Waste Water Disposal

Most Common Practices
Permission to discharge to a POTW
sanitary sewer line- Discharge limits
(0.4 to 1.0 mg/L)
Permission to truck water to the POTW
Obtain Permit to discharge to stream,
creek, etc.- not likely to be feasibleClients permit does not necessarily
cover contractors waste stream

Waste Water Disposal

Some Uncommon Practices
Fixed Facility Operations
Natural Evaporation of Waste Water (CAP)
On-site Treatment and discharge
(Treatment Plant)
Drying, Sludge Cake

Disposal of Waterjetting
Waste Solids
Solid Waste- Sample, Test and Classify

Hazardous Waste
Non- Hazardous Waste
Special, Industrial, Restricted
Wastes
(State regulations)

Containment and Disposal of

Waste Water
in HP and UHPWJ Operations
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