building a hydrovac pad on a budgetwash owners, hydrovac companies, and residents about where to...

Hydrovac Challenges

Building a Hydrovac Pad on a budget

Alberta CARE Conference - September 5th, 2019

Alberta Environment Guidelines

Policy that Hydrovac Waste must be taken to an Class II landfill or designated facility

• Not allowed to dump in fields any more

Designated Facilities must be registered with Alberta Environment and Parks • Most of these facilities are in large populated areas or are related to oil field disposal and

are very costly.

Facilities are required to get approval before prior to construction • I found it difficult to get something in writing from my representative, I have verbal

approval, but to date nothing in writing.

• Information here https://www.alberta.ca/hydrovac-facilities.aspx?utm_source=redirector


Need within the Community

• I have received many calls in the past couple of years from Car Wash owners, Hydrovac Companies, and residents about where to take the Hydrovac Waste and how to get the costs lower

• Commission Members have also heard the need from their constituents.

• Costs are very high due to the long distances material has to be hauled for proper disposal.


How do we Deal with this Waste????


What we are Doing

• Commission decided to bite the bullet and build a dumping pad for Hydrovac Trucks at the Regional Landfill site.

• Engineers were contacted

• Many Calls to Alberta Environment for a design that was acceptable and not cost prohibitive

• Engineer designs came in, I made many changes to meet our budget of $150,000.00.

• Frustration is that I know of some sites whose design came in a lot less. Not sure why AEP has different expectations across Province.


Start of Project

• Tried liquid tanks at first

• Filled up fast, hard to get leachate removed

Without silt and dirt

Took a lot to get them cleaned out when finished


Alberta Environment and Parks

• Sent several emails and made a few phone calls to my representative to ensure we can proceed with the project.

• Got no response until I talked to Carol Nelson and we worked out a simple design for our site.

• Later found out that my main file holder accepted concept because in the Code of Practice it does allow for car wash waste


Began Construction

• Cleared land of trees and identified a good location for pad

• Had engineers make a design based on what AEP agreed on

• Built access approaches into area

• Hired contractor for preparing site

• Got pond area surveyed and began construction


Construction

• Notes of importance: • Our soil is a blue clay that can pack to 10 -9 with little work

• Area already had wells located nearby

• Location is future landfill cell, 50 years away…

• Ditching was already started to divert water away from area

• Easy access was available for large trucks


Construction

• Started digging pond


Construction

• Laying of poly liner 60 mil


Construction

• Building approaches

• Built two tipping areas, 2 percent slope

• Put in rig matts and rip rap for approaches


Construction

• Fencing • Keep it simple

• Game wire all around


Construction

• Installation of ground watering wells

• We put a well immediately upgrade and one downgrade from the site, not required but I felt it was important for monitoring.


Challenges

• Slope for trucks not steep enough

• Pads not long enough

• Mud is too liquid

• Hard to keep up when have a large volume of trucks

• Removing mud from pond


Pictures


Revision

• Working on the revision of the dumping pad

• Adding concrete wall to hold back mud with passages for water to move through

• Extending the pads longer and with a steeper slope, 5% slope.

• Looking at other ideas

• Unlike big facilities, we are not near power where this is at, so unable to use concrete heated pads, have to keep it simple

• Open to any ideas


Questions

Tom Moore

Commission Manager

Westlock Regional Waste Management Commission

[email protected]

780-805-2015


mailto:[email protected]

building a hydrovac pad on a budgetwash owners, hydrovac companies, and residents about where to...

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