Wastewater Sampling and Analysis for Power Plants

The Client

Steam Electrical Power Generation Stations

The Challenge

To ensure compliance with the EPA’s 2015 Effluent Guidelines for the Steam Electrical Power Generating Industry, facilities need accurate wastewater data to determine the treatment equipment needed for future water and wastewater reuse.  

Accurate analyses of wastewater from coal-fired plants can be challenging due to the variations in the feed streams that make up the wastewater.  This wastewater can contain high concentrations of total dissolved solid (TDS) and elements that are known to cause matrix interferences.  These interferences, if not properly understood and handled, will hinder the accurate reporting of analytical data to the client and ultimately may impact the design of the treatment system.

Gel Engineering Services Provided

From project and sample management to field analysis and sample collection, GEL provided all facets of sampling and analysis.  Our scientists provided site-specific tailored sampling and analysis plans that covered sample collection at multiple locations for coal-fired electric power plants.

GEL’s technical professionals provided sampling of wastewater streams from processes and byproducts associated with steam electric power generation, including flue gas desulfurization (FGD), fly ash, bottom ash, flue gas mercury control, and gasification of fuels such as coal and petroleum coke.