Civil Engineering

Case Name: Flow Audit Studies

Problem Description: The San Jose / Santa Clara Water Pollution Control Plant was exceeding its maximum allowable effluent to the South San Francisco Bay. The WPCP required a Flow Audit Study for commercial and industrial dischargers that exceeded 100,000 gallons per day to the sanitary sewer. The FAS was a comprehensive review of facility water uses and required dischargers to propose, evaluate, develop, and complete control measures that were cost effective.

Our Involvement: We approached the list of 13 commercial and industrial dischargers and completed 10 of the Flow Audit Studies. The clients included semiconductor manufacturers, food processing, a large amusement / theme park, a pulp and paper mill, a university, a correctional institution, and a hospital. We performed two types of studies. The first type included the water balance but did not include a complete evaluation of reasonable control measures. The second type was a complete study, including the water balance and evaluating the control measures for reducing flow to the sanitary sewer. Because of our knowledge of the local regulatory environment, we set the standard for the Flow Audit Studies.