Cooling Tower Water

[north star]

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I have a project with a new Cooling Tower, associated pumps
and an "in-ground" storage tank...….The tank will store water
to be used and recirculated to cool a dynamometer and
vehicle engines in a Equipt. Testing Room...…..The water
being circulated will be chemically treated, and has an
Emergency Overflow pipe on it.

The applicable Codes are the `18 I-Codes.

Is the Storage Tank - Overflow Pipe "required" to be
directly connected, or indirectly connected to an Oil \ Water
Separator or Grease Interceptor, or nothing at all
[ RE: Ch. 13, `18 IPC ] ?

Thanks for your input !

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[classicT]

I'd think that it would depend on how the water is treated....Is it suitable for discharge to the sewer system?

If it can be discharged, then I would think that it could be hard-piped to an oil/water separator. Since this is non-potable, then back-flow prevention is not required. Backflow protection would be required/provided at the point where the system is filled from a potable water source (i.e. a hose).

 

[north star]

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Thanks **Ty J.** !...…..The system DOES have a
potable water supply line hard piped in, and a
backflow preventer scheduled for installation, so I
believe it to be a moderate to high hazard application
[ RE: Section 1301.5, `18 IPC ].

No information provided on the type of chemicals to
be used in the circulating water.........That said, I believe
that a "hard piped connection" in to an Oil \ Water
Separator is appropriate......None shown on the plans.

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[classicT]

So the overflow pipe on the storage tank goes nowhere? Discharges to the floor?

Where-ever the discharge is routed should be provide suitable disposal.

 

[north star]

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No indication of the location of where the Overflow Piping
water will go...…..That's part of my Comments back to
the RDP...….I believe that the Overflow Piping should be
"hard piped" in to an approved type of Oil \ Water Separator.

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[classicT]

I'd just say that it has to go to an approved location. How it gets there is not so much of a concern that the code will back you up on. Think of it more as a process waste stream.

Dumping it to the floor and a floor drain may be acceptable depending upon what chemicals are added and if the room is occupied, has a curb/sloped floor, etc. Obviously, wherever it discharges to, will still need to be protected by an oil/water separator.

 

[north star]

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After reading some more in the IPC [ RE: Ch. 8 , Section 801.2 &
803 ], I am leaning more towards having the Cooling Water
treated \ neutralized before being deposited in to the S.S. System.
Not sure that an Oil \ Water Separator is applicable.

Thoughts ?

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[classicT]

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After reading some more in the IPC [ RE: Ch. 8 , Section 801.2 &
803 ], I am leaning more towards having the Cooling Water
treated \ neutralized before being deposited in to the S.S. System.
Not sure that an Oil \ Water Separator is applicable.

Thoughts ?

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If the water goes through an engine, you can get oil into the cooling system.

This is a tell-tale indication that you have a blown gasket or cracked head.

 

[north star]

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Thank you for the clarification !

An Oil \ Water Separator is what I will include in
my comments.

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[mtlogcabin]

Our public works department is the one who makes the final approval for discharge into a sanitary sewer or storm sewer. You might want to check with yours

 

[north star]

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" Our public works department is the one who makes the final approval
for discharge into a sanitary sewer or storm sewer. You might want to
check with yours "

Thank you sir !

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[ICE]

That the plans call for a back-flow device on the potable water is not proof positive that there is a need for an oil water separator and neither is the fact that it might be used in an engine cooling system.