Maintenance | Hydrodynamic Separator
AquaShield™ recommends that periodic system inspections be performed to determine whether the disposal of captured material is needed to ensure proper operation of the Aqua-Swirl® treatment system. It is important to keep in mind that all BMPs require some degree of maintenance. Maintenance cycles are ultimately dependent on site-specific pollutant loading conditions.
Upon installation and during construction, we recommend that an Aqua-Swirl® be inspected every three months and cleaned as needed. An Inspection and Maintenance Manual is furnished for each project installation for an end user(s) to track and document system operations. A typical maintenance event for the cleaning of the swirl chamber can be accomplished with a vacuum truck. The unit should be inspected and cleaned at the end of construction regardless of whether it has reached its capacity for sediment or oil storage. During the first year post-construction, the unit should again be inspected every three months and cleaned as needed. It is also recommended that the system be inspected and cleaned once annually regardless of whether it has reached its sediment or floatable pollutant storage capacity. For the second and subsequent years post-construction, the Aqua-Swirl® can be inspected and cleaned once annually if the system did not reach full sediment or floatable pollutant capacity in the first year post-construction. If the Aqua-Swirl® reached full sediment or floatable pollutant capacity in less than 12 months in the first year post-construction, the system should be inspected once every six months and cleaned as needed. AquaShield™ further recommends that external bypass (diversion) and convergence structures should be inspected and cleaned when feasible during inspection and maintenance events. Essential elements of a swirl chamber inspection include observing floating materials and measuring the accumulated sediment at the base of the swirl chamber. These two activities can be performed at the ground surface and there is no need to enter the device. A typical maintenance event includes the vacuuming and disposal of floatable pollutants and sediment from the swirl chamber. Proper health and safety protocols should be followed during all inspection and maintenance events. AquaShield™ recommends that all materials removed during the maintenance process be handled and disposed in accordance with all applicable federal, state and local guidelines. Depending on the influent pollutant characteristics of the system drainage area, it may be appropriate to perform Toxicity Characteristics Leaching Procedure (TCLP) analyses on representative samples of the removed material to ensure that the handling and disposition of materials complies with applicable environmental regulations. |
Aqua-Swirl™ captures and retains floatable materials. Periodic maintenance is needed to remove these materials.
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