Blog

Portsmouth Site Finishes Building 1 Million-Gallon Tank Ahead of Schedule

Crews at the Portsmouth Site recently completed construction of a storage tank designed to hold 1 million gallons of wastewater and leachate from the On-Site Waste Disposal Facility.

Office of Environmental Management

November 5, 2024
Aerial view of three large tan tanks, surrounded by facility buildings
Workers finished construction on a 1 million-gallon tank ahead of schedule at the Portsmouth Site. The tank, pictured in the foreground, supports an interim leachate treatment system for the On-Site Waste Disposal Facility.

Tank to store wastewater, leachate from On-Site Waste Disposal Facility

PIKETON, Ohio — Crews at the Portsmouth Site recently completed construction of a storage tank designed to hold 1 million gallons of wastewater and leachate from the On-Site Waste Disposal Facility.

Crews began constructing the tank in March and finished it in September, weeks ahead of schedule. 

“Getting the 1 million-gallon tank online will help us continue to meet our goals and to work efficiently,” Portsmouth Site Lead Jeremy Davis said. “Working together to accomplish this task and utilizing the available technology is a testament to our dedication to the Portsmouth Site cleanup.”

An upclose shot of three valves, with red handles, and the piping coming out of them

 

Crews at the Portsmouth Site completed valves and piping connections for a 1 million-gallon tank supporting an interim leachate treatment system for the On-Site Waste Disposal Facility in September.

 

The disposal facility provides a cost-effective, reliable and on-site location for the safe disposal of an estimated 5 million cubic yards of debris and engineered fill from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management mission at the site.

Workers customized the new tank to fit the designated space. The vessel is designed to store excess wastewater for an interim leachate treatment system. Leachate is water from rain and snowmelt.

With the addition of the tank, the next waste placement cell at the disposal facility can become operable.

“This additional storage tank is a critical component to allow the On-Site Waste Disposal Facility waste placement to proceed uninterrupted while the full permanent leachate treatment system plant is being built,” On-Site Waste Disposal Facility Project Manager Jack Hughes said.

The interim leachate treatment system can process 400 gallons of water per minute. Initially, leachate water goes through pretreatment and then either to a water treatment facility or to the 1 million-gallon storage tank for future treatment.

-Contributor: Michelle Teeters