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Many Army wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) use conventional sand drying beds to dewater sludge. However, sand-drying is slow, and requires a large land area commitment and manual sludge removal. Outdoor sand-drying beds are vulnerable to weather conditions and operational problems associated with sand-media and underdrain clogging. Successful new technologies for sludge treatment in small-scale WWTPs include wedgewater beds (WBs), vacuum-assisted beds (VABs) and reed-bed systems. As operator of over 100 small WWTPs, the Army has an interest in such cost effective and technically efficient sludge- dewatering systems. This study compiled operational data from commercial WWTPs with existing WBs and VABs to evaluate their potential for Army use. Generally. WBs were found to be easier to operate and maintain than VABs. WBs also showed fewer media-and underdrain-clogging problems when high-pressure hoses were used to clean the media, and when tiles were kept free from damage. VABs were preferred by smaller plants that required a lower target solids rate. Most problems with both systems were associated with poor media cleaning, front-end loader damage, and engineering errors.

In 1989, no Eighth U.S. Army installations had yet acquired a complete library of Republic of Korea (ROK) hazardous waste regulations. Since the Korean Waste Management Law is the primary las governing the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) hazardous waste management program, the USFK/EUSA Environmental Program Office (EPO) tasked the U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory to translate the Korean Waste Management Law and attendant documents into English. This special report contains English translations of: (1) the Korean Waste Management Law, (2) the Korean Ministry of Health and Safety Administration (MOHSA) Order To Implement the Waste Management Law, (3) the Korean Presidential Decree To Implement the Waste Management Law, and (4) Korean government forms for documentation of waste disposal in that country. These translations will help USFK installation planners in Korea to formulate a hazardous waste management program that recognizes and adheres to host country regulations., Translation from Korean.

Although Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) have been successfully used at municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), the Army has not yet automated its WWTPs by using this relatively simple, low-cost, available technology. PLCs are widely used in environmental engineering facilities and in applications with control requirements similar to water/ wastewater operations to: (1) reduce manhours dedicated to repetitive operational monitoring tasks, (2) ensure operational and equipment safety, and (3) monitor and reduce facility chemical and energy costs. Benefits of PLCs include: (1) Off-the-shelf availability; (2) Low-cost procurement, installation, and repair; (3) Small physical size; (4) Simplified programming and troubleshooting; (5) Standalone or networked operation; and (6) Multiple sensor monitoring. This report summarizes the concepts underlying PLC use in WWTPs, outlines successful applications of PLC technology in commercial WWTPs, and details specific operations in military WWTPs that may benefit from PLC implementation.

The goal of the Army hazardous waste minimization program is to achieve a 50 percent reduction of the hazardous waste generated before the close of calendar year 1992 (CY92), as compared to baseline CY85. A first step in achieving effective hazardous waste management is to conduct a thorough hazardous material inventory. Volume I describes a method created to inventory hazardous material by collecting supply data from Logistics Control Activity (LCA) at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA, and comparing this data with the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) in the Hazardous Material information System (HMIS). Volume 11 lists hazardous material data collected for the Eighth U.S. Army (EUSA), Korea. Common elements between the two data bases were compiled, analyzed, and validated. It was found that the intersection of the two data bases created a composite list that substantially reduced the number of nonhazardous wastes included in the individual lists. This method may also be applied to supply data from other Army installations.

To comply with the requirements of the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments and the Army's hazardous waste minimization goal of a 50 percent reduction in hazardous waste generation by 1992 as compared to the baseline year of 1985, the Army needs accurate information on the types and quantities of hazardous wastes being generated and the amount being stored pending treatment, disposal, or final disposition. The objectives of this research were to (1) critically examine the Army's current data on the generation and storage of hazardous wastes, (2) identify problems and recommend potential improvements in the way the Army collects, compiles, and distributes hazardous waste data, and (3) develop a simple, rational methodology for prioritizing wastes in terms of their potential threat to the public health and environment, and potential liability to the Army. Although data indicates that the quantity of waste increased in spite of the Army's strong emphasis on the hazardous waste minimization program, the increases were mainly due to the lack of resources and poor systems to monitor and record hazardous waste quantities and did not represent actual quantity increases. This study recommends methods to improve the accuracy of Army hazardous waste generation quantity data. Keywords: Data acquisition, Carcinogens.

A field laundry wastewater recycling system (FLWRS) using powdered activated carbon, a cationic and an anionic polyelectrolyte, and diatomaceous earth filter was evaluated to determine the effectiveness of the process to produce recycled water for reuse in military field laundry operations. Analysis of the results of six batch runs with various treatment cycles indicated that the FLWRS batch treatment process can be operated effectively to treat laundry wastewater for recycle use in laundry units in the field. A task and skill analysis was performed to develop a training program for military laundry operators. A training course of 40 hours duration would be sufficient to enable a laundry specialist to become proficient in operating a FLWRS. No health hazard was anticipated to result from the use of detergents, bleaches, soaps, and water treatment chemicals during operation of the FLWRS. Keywords: Water reclamation; Field condition.

This report discusses the development of a suggested program of instruction for operators of a Field Shower Wastewater Recycling System (FSWRS)--a system designed to recycle water used in showers in the field. A 40-hour training course will be sufficient to properly train a Bath Specialist in FSWRS operations. These operations will emphasize water treatment procedures and water sampling and testing. Analysis of field needs indicated that water quality testing can be limited to measurements of pH, turbidity, and residual chlorine and that these measurements can be made with relatively unsophisticated equipment. It was found that most constituents of shower wastewater that could pose health hazards will be removed during FSWRS recycling operations. However, basic procedures should be followed, such as avoiding ingestion of recycled shower waters and ensuring that FSWRS operators take appropriate precautions in handling sulfuric acid and untreated waters. Although no health hazards are anticipated to result from components such as soaps and shampoos, there is concern about the hazard potential of volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, chlorinated compounds, and chlorination byproducts. The most likely anticipated health effects would be dermal or eye irritations. Keywords: Water reclamation; Water analysis; Water chemistry; Water conservation; Water filters; Water treatment.

This report provides information that will be useful to the Army Facility Engineer in developing a water supply contingency plan that can be implemented when water utility components are lost or damaged due to a natural or man-made disaster. Such an emergency plan is required to maintain water supplies sufficient to meet priority demands such as firefighting, hospitals, and mission-essential industries. This report summarizes the various types of disasters that can impair a water utility and provides a basis for estimating water requirements during an emergency. In addition, it provides information for assessing the vulnerability of various system components to damage from disaster, and gives a checklist of activities to be carried out in developing and updating an emergency water plan.

Most Army installations do not keep records of water usage for each residence and facility since military personnel pay a base rate for an unlimited supply. For this reason, it is unclear at present how much water may be wasted through loss in the distribution system (e.g., via leaks in subsurface or directly into the sanitary or storm water sewers). A procedure is described for making a water loss survey part of an installations' regular maintenance program. The survey would consist of three levels: (1) house-keeping, in which facility and residential fixtures and water-using appliances are checked, (2) a water audit, which determines if losses are occurring in the distribution system and, if so, the general area of the leak, and (3) leak pinpointing by one or more of the current leak detection methods described. A procedure for estimating cost-to-benefit ratios is also given, along with a hypothetical example. The cost-effectiveness of a leak detection program depends on several factors--one of the most important of which is the water treatment/purchase cost. Keywords: Water distribution, Leak detectors, Leakage(Fluid), Water loss.

This research investigated the feasibility of tracking hazardous materials through procurement, distribution, use, collection, and disposal of U.S. Army fixed facilities. It was found that a complete tracking system would require major changes to materials distribution and accountability procedures. Implementing complete tracking procedures would be very costly at military installations because of the great diversity of hazardous materials procured and the large numbers of activities which uses them. In addition, some of the information required for a complete tracking system is not available. Another tracking system investigated was the monitoring of procurement data. This type of system has been used successfully at two installations and it is recommended that it be tried at others on an experimental basis.

This report examines whether a military subpotable wastewater reuse model can be applied to Civil Works water supply and water conservation planning procedures. These procedures, as detailed in Institute for Water Resources (IWR) publications, are compared to military reuse model procedures with respect to (1) type and level of data gathered, (2) criteria for the evaluation of reuse and conservation technology, and (3) type of economic analysis performed. It was concluded that: (1) An unmodified military model would apply to Civil Works projects when (a) they were similar to a military installation in scale and type of water-using activities, (b) water supplier billing studies were available for the project area, and (c) there were unexploited opportunities for industrial and agricultural recycle and reuse. (2) Civil works projects of a different scale and nature than those usually found on military installations could use the military model if it was modified to (a) evaluate all costs and benefits of concern to Civil Works planners, and (b) consider conservation as well as recycle and reuse. (Author)

The use of rotating biological contactors (RBCs) to upgrade sewage treatment plants is relatively new in the United States, and only a few full-scale RBC secondary plants have been in operation for more than 1 year. RBCs appear to be simple to operate and maintain, cost competitive, reliable, economical, and compatible for retrofitting existing Department of Army (DA) sewage treatment plants without extensive renovation. However, data are scarce regarding RBC retrofitting strategies for upgrading existing secondary trickling-filter sewage treatment plants for additional biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and nitrogen removal to meet current and anticipated National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requirements. In addition, because of differences in manufacturers' inherent design philosophies, nowell-defined theory of design and operation is accepted by all manufacturers. The overall objective of this investigation was to evaluate the performance of an RBC wastewater treatment process as an upgrading-retrofit unit process for BOD reduction and nitrification. Using a 0.5-m RBC plant at an existing full-scale trickling-filter plant, the flexibility, feasibility, and characteristics for BOD reduction and nitrification potential were determined under a variety of hydraulic, organic, and ammonia-loading regimes. The design procedure is presented, along with design calculations for 1.0, 5.0, and 7.5 mgd plants. Capital costs and energy requirements for these plants at various options were listed for comparison. These results indicate that DA sewage treatment plants can be effectively upgraded.

The purpose of this research was to explore the feasibility of increasing an RBC's capacity to treat shock loads by periodically reversing the direction of flow across two or more successive stages of an RBC installation. RBC biofilms have been observed to grow more rapidly in response to an incremental organic concentration than they response to an incremental organic concentration than they decay in response to an equal decrement. This characteristic of biofilms suggests the possibility of increasing the total inventory of film within several stages of an RBC by periodically reversing the direction of flow across those stages. The period of reversal would be sufficiently long to permit the concentration gradient across the stages to re-establish itself in each direction but not so long that the biofilm could adjust fully through growth and decay to the new distribution of nutrients. Under average flow conditions, the RBC's performance shouldn't be significantly affected. The former earliest stage would see a lower average concentration than under conventional flow and would presumably perform less removal., This article is from 'Proceedings: International Conference on Fixed-Film Biological Processes (1st) Held at Kings Island, Ohio on 20-23 April 1982. Volume II,' AD-A126 377.

Carbon dioxide treatment for controlling and removing scale deposits in potable water systems has been investigated for potential application at Army installations. Scaling of water treatment systems is costly in terms of severe headloss and reduced carrying capacity of pipes, loss of heat transfer capacity in water heating systems, high operating costs due to inefficiencies, downtime and maintenance, and operational safety hazards. Conventional treatments for scale removal and control include mechanical and chemical methods. These methods are expensive and often ineffective; in addition, some chemical additives are unsafe, requiring special handling techniques and evacuation of building occupants during treatment. The Illinois State Water Survey has successfully field-tested a carbon dioxide treatment system. Treatment with controlled levels of carbon dioxide removed scale deposits safely and effectively; subsequent treatment kept the test pipes relatively scale-free while in service. However, one drawback is that overtreating a water system can result in corrosion due to dissolution of the scale and the protective coating on pipes.

This report documents research conducted by the U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) to (1) examine the implications of current water use for mobilization planning; (2) determine what proportion of the portable water consumed at a typical Army fixed installation goes to each major category of use; (3) determine how these proportions change during the year; and (4) present this information in an easily understandable and useful form. To do this, CERL personnel visited Forts Bliss, Bragg, Carson, and Lewis to collect historical water use data and to interview installation personnel. Statistical analyses were performed on the collected water use data to provide the information needed to develop water use distributions and to evaluate the present mobilization planning factors. It was found that troop and family housing and irrigation are by far the biggest water consumers on the installation. Industrial activities are also large water users. It was also found that irrigation causes the most variation in water demand, in some cases accounting for half the water use during the summer. There is also a wide range in individual use of water. If excessive could be moderated, significant savings could be realized. Analysis of current mobilization water supply showed that currently assumed requirements may be too low. (Author)

This report presents the results of a study which assessed the effects of Federal environmental laws and regulations on Army unit training. A survey/questionnaire was prepared and distributed to all Forces Command (FORSCOM) installation environmental coordinators and Division/Separate Brigade-level training officers. Two installations were visited to obtain a more detailed evaluation. The surveys and visits showed that only minimal training capabilities were lost due to compliance with environmental regulations. Most potential problems can be avoided through coordinated planning during the earliest stage of facility development. (Author)