Military Hangar

PROBLEM

A major retrofit at a large military hangar in northern Washington state included the removal of the original lead-based paint from the interior of the massive metal building. This was a multi-phase project that included planning and implementation of an environmentally sound plan that included safe disposal of the residual lead paint. The plan included pressure washing to blast off the old paint into large collection pans underneath each work area. Once collected and prior to disposal, all of the contaminated water needed to be treated and prepped before discharge. This included large amounts of accumulated lead paint chips, dissolved lead particles and other pollutants resident on the hangar interior after years of use.

SOLUTION

The management team devised a solution that started with a series of bag filters followed by filtration columns filled with MetalZorb® Metals Removal Media. As the water flowed through the bag filters into the columns, the MetalZorb media polished all of the water to remove the lead before safe discharge.

MetalZorb performed well in this environment with its high capacity, low impedance to flow and no backwash required. The lead was captured and held in the absorbent media, preventing the metallic ions from leaching out.

For more information, call 800.723.1373.