WSP10774

• File Number: 8271.200
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program - Development and History - UCRB 13a Assessment
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 1/1/1979
• Title: Costs of Wastewater Disposal in Coal Gasification and Oil Shale Processing
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

TABLE 1-3 SU~\RY OF WASTEWATER STREA."iS ANn LRE.ATIlf.~r COSTS
FOR Hl)flIFIED IN-snu 1\~:TORTIl"G OF OIL SrL\LE

~
~
o
-...I

fLow late
{Af'/vr}

Waste Stre81l1

Hine drain3gr
v.err
treatment 2,970
tor pL~nt
....

treatment 3,460-15.130
of exc:esll........

BoUn 24
hedw.ter
treatlllllnt
b1owdowu*

Retort 2,670
vater

Cooling
tovar
b1ovdovn

110-260111**.....

Domestic
vaata
at plant

10

IuDOff aad
leacbate

200 (plllnt)
420 (shale
d1apo...1)

Qual1ty Rdc-re
Trratml/lnt

fSD.900-1,350
mstl; hiSh.
floudde and
boron
eoncentrllt tons

sa_ a. .bove

1-2% TDS

toul w.ter
rith high
conceDtration
of ell:DJaia.
IOD. and COD

laver organica
and higher TDS
than to r coal
,_UicatioD

low TDS.
BOD . 200-250
../1

good
f..ir co good

DiSDoaal OPt tons

Appt'o~lmate Co~t
(c/mlllion Btu)

1) in-pLant uses

0.7-0.9

1) dtllcharge to river

2.0-9.0

1) lev-quality vater need.

aegliSib1e

1) treaCmeDt tor make-up
to cooliog tower*........*

2.2

1) shal. diapos..l, aegligiblr
mine us.a
I) aecondary treatment and 0.04
low-quality in-plant uars
or revegetation
1) lov-quality vater r.eeds Dot estimaced

*The portion of th.e mine draiaage water to be uaed in cbe plant WQuld have to be treated first.
Electrodialysis or raverse osmoais are the probable treac~ent processe.. w1ch separace re~val
ot boroa. by 1oa. exchange fo't" that part of the water needed ior dOllle.stiC, potable uses. The
co.t ot this treatmenc i. estimated to be abouc 0.7c-0.8c/million Btu. The quality of the
v_te con~entrata hom thl!Se step' would be about 5,500-8,000 mg/l of TDS and it. volume
about 440 'cre-f~.t per year. The concenCrate could be di.spD.ed of aC a oegligibLe COSt by
uaiD!!: it tor d~t canCrol or shale dalilo.al. If the voLume of concenerate. Willi coo latge.
vapor compres.iot\ with diaposa1 to an evaporation pond could be used at. an estilllated COllt of
O. h:/adllioo Btu.

**Eleccrodia!y.i. or reverse osmosi.. with separate remev.l of boron by ion exchange. would be
required io order to produce an eftluent dischargeable to iI river. The concentrafe re.sulting
from the.e acepa would thea. have co be di.posed of. Thia probably would be done by fir.sc
reduciDg iu volulIMI w1th a vapor-colllpresllioR evapor-ato[, with final disposaL to an evapora-
tion ~ond. The .st~ted co.st. cover all or these treatmenc and disposal steps.

***Evea. after the mine drainage is treaced for general plant use, "Dol1.11hinll:" delTlineral1:o:~uton
(by ion exchange)vould be require~ for the water used iD the boiler (co produce st.a~ ~or
injection into che retot"t). The dispoaal of che blowdollD from cht. st.p La the itelll re-
flectad by thu ,ntry.

.......Qu.lity ot the foul retort water i. hiWhly uncertain .t this time. Therefore, estimated
treatMnt costs are verY probLelllaeic. Treatment would eacail stripping of alDlllOnia and acid
...... removal of organics (probabLy th[ough blolo~ical oxi~ation, although resin adsorption
"1 prove viable). and reduction of bicarbonate leveLa throu~ acidification or !l!lle
.oftetns_ Th. tre.ted w.ate .tream WQuld be used u uk._up to the coal1nl tower.

"****tf tbe blowdown exteed. that \lhlch can be e.ployed for shale dIspo8al .and mine u.e., then
It. wLuee could first be reduced t.o 110 mor. th.tn .:Lbout UQ ac[e-feet pet' ye:l.t' by 1nc-reasine
the cycle. of concentration in the cooling cower. f'ollawinS thh. vapor cOlllpre..ion with
4iapo.a1 to a lIned evaporation pond could be u.ed. at an e.timated cost oi O.2t/lllillioo Btu.

2c