PROJECT

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.

Client

Denver International Airport

Location

Denver, Colorado

Region

West

Service

Deicing & Glycol Recycling

Industry

Aviation

2,050

linear feet

132

inches tunnel bore

40

feet below ground

To convey the spent glycol and stormwater flow, new piping was required, traversing nearly 3 miles across the airfield. It included six tunnel bores crossing under existing active taxiways and a runway, with depths ranging from 20 to 50 feet. The largest tunnel bore was 132 inches (11 feet) in diameter and the smallest was 24 inches in diameter.

The 132-inch tunnel bore was 2,050 linear feet and holds 10 pipes ranging in diameter from 4 inches to 72 inches, including communications, power and other fluid discharges or supply. A 90-inch diameter jack and bore with fiberglass reinforced pipe was also designed and completed to minimize any impact to a complex utility corridor near the apron pavement.