Deicing Industrial Wastewater Pond Expansion

We provided engineering services for expansion of the deicing industrial wastewater (DIW) system at Denver International Airport. The project included analysis, design and construction documentation for installation of four 5.4-million-gallon pond cells and associated infrastructure on the west airfield, as well as the rerouting of some DIW system discharges to existing storage infrastructure.

The new DIW system provides supply, storage, collection and treatment of the stormwater and expended deicing fluid for the current and future deicing pad construction. The DIW system is mission-critical infrastructure that allows the airport and airline partners to operate in winter weather while maintaining environmental compliance with both the airport’s industrial stormwater and the Metro Sanitary Contribution permits.

The DIW system was designed to collect a five-year storm event on aircraft deice pads, including the volume of anticipated spent deicing fluid. The four pond cells will collect stormwater outside of the aircraft deicing season to assure collection of residual deicing fluid. The system also considers overflow potential with an overflow pipe, which discharges to the adjacent stormwater detention pond. During deicing season, the high concentrate flow is routed to the waste containment tank, where ultimately it can be recycled at the Glycol Recovery Facility on-site.