Recycling Our Most Valued Natural Resource - Water

Overview

Globalcycle, Inc. (“Globalcycle”) operates two very unique processes at its Taunton, MA facility; a wastewater recycling facility and a solid waste handling facility:

Our wastewater recycling facility is the only fully permitted industrial/commercial wastewater treatment and recycling plant in Massachusetts. Globalcycle operates pursuant to a Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (“MassDEP”) Individual Reclaimed Water Discharge Permit. This permit allows Globalcycle to accept various non-hazardous industrial wastewaters from off-site sources. Globalcycle uses solids filtration systems and activated carbon to recycle wastewaters into a reusable water source for industrial reuse applications (See below detailed process description).
Adjacent to our wastewater recycling facility, Globalcycle has completed the construction of a new 8000 square foot building, after obtaining a MassDEP Site Suitability approval, a solid waste facility handling permit and a City of Taunton Site Assignment. This facility is the first and only fully permitted non-hazardous facility in Massachusetts authorized to accept most non-hazardous liquids, semi-solids, and solids for storage and/or treatment, including two solidification pits. Typical non-hazardous solid waste streams authorized to accept in bulk or in containers include, but is not limited to:

~ Power plant wastes, such as cooling tower basin sediments
~ Abrasive stone/sand blasting semi-solids
~ Alum wastewater residuals from drinking water treatment plants
~ Off-specification/outdated raw materials and products
~ Inert materials, such as soils, sand, dirt, clays
~ Catch basin, car wash, and other inert solids and semi-solids
~ Bentonite slurries
~ Remediation wastes such as spent bag filters, carbon, and other media
~ Investigated derived wastes (“IDW”) from site investigations

The Wastewater Recycling Process

Step 1 - Pre-Approval

Each wastewater source will undergo sampling at the originating site and at a minimum, be analyzed by a third-party independent laboratory for “total hydrocarbons," pH, TDS and TSS. Total hydrocarbons are defined as the total volatile organics (“VOC”) - by method 8260 and semi-volatile organics (“SVOC”) - by method 8270.

Step 2 - Large Particle Removal

Large-particle removal is achieved by off-loading the wastewaters through a series-type water filtration system to remove “gross” solids (filter boxes, hoppers, basket strainers….etc) and then into a coned bottom receiving tank.

Step 3 - Small Particle removal

Small-particle removal is achieved by pumping wastewater from the receiving tanks through a series of bag-type water filters. The bags within these water filters can be easily changed to accommodate the appropriate filtering size (i.e. 10-25 micron).

Step 4 - organic carbon

Should testing reveal the wastewater contains levels of volatile or semi-volatile organics that exceed the outbound water quality criteria, the filtered wastewater is then transferred through two (2) x 5,000 pound granular activated carbon (“GAC”) tanks, in series. To prevent fouling of the GAC filters, bag-type water filters will always be used prior to GAC treatment.

Step 5 - PH Adjustment

If necessary a dilute acid (e.g. muriatic acid) or alkaline solution (e.g. soda ash) may be added to the finish tank, in the event that the pH of the filtered wastewater is not within the proper range as specified by the destination facility.

Step 6 - outbound reuse facility

Globalcycle transports the recycled wastewater to numerous industrial facilities, such as waste-to-energy facilities, for reuse. This reclaimed water replaces the use of municipal city water or groundwater withdrawn from the aquifer, thus helping to preserve one of must valued natural resources.