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Treatment Systems

Groundwater Treatment Systems

Fliteway designs and fabricates custom groundwater treatment systems for removing volatile organic compounds, petroleum hydrocarbons, dissolved metals, and other contaminants from extracted groundwater. With 109 water treatment projects completed, we deliver treatment trains engineered to meet your specific discharge requirements.

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Treatment Technologies

Groundwater contamination varies widely in chemistry, concentration, and volume. Fliteway selects and integrates the right combination of treatment technologies to address your specific contaminant profile and discharge requirements.

Oil-Water Separators

Gravity-based and coalescing plate oil-water separators remove free-phase petroleum product, oils, and greases from extracted groundwater. These units serve as a critical first stage in the treatment train, protecting downstream equipment (GAC, air strippers, filters) from fouling and premature exhaustion. Fliteway designs separators with coalescing media packs, oil skimming mechanisms, and integrated sludge collection for high-efficiency separation across a wide range of flow rates.

Bag and Cartridge Filtration

Multi-bag and cartridge filter housings remove suspended solids, sediment, and particulate matter from extracted groundwater. Filtration is typically applied upstream of GAC or ion exchange vessels to prevent media fouling and extend bed life. Filter ratings range from 1 micron to 100 microns depending on the application. Duplex filter housings allow bag changes without interrupting flow.

Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) Vessels

GAC adsorption is one of the most versatile and widely used treatment technologies for groundwater remediation. Carbon vessels are configured in lead-lag pairs so the lead vessel captures the bulk of contaminants while the lag vessel provides polishing and backup. When the lead vessel is exhausted (breakthrough), it is taken offline for carbon changeout and the lag vessel becomes the new lead. Fliteway designs GAC systems using vessels ranging from 55-gallon drum units for low-flow applications to 20,000-pound bulk vessels for high-flow pump-and-treat systems. Carbon type (coal-based, coconut shell) is selected based on the target contaminant adsorption characteristics.

Air Stripping

Packed-tower air strippers remove dissolved volatile organic compounds from groundwater by maximizing air-water contact across random or structured packing media. Air stripping is highly effective for compounds with a favorable Henry's Law constant, including BTEX compounds and many chlorinated solvents. Fliteway designs custom air strippers with appropriate tower diameter, packing height, air-to-water ratio, and off-gas treatment. Low-profile tray-type air strippers are available for sites with height restrictions.

Metals Precipitation and Clarification

Chemical precipitation converts dissolved metals (iron, manganese, arsenic, lead, zinc, chromium) into insoluble precipitates that can be removed by sedimentation and filtration. Treatment involves pH adjustment (typically with sodium hydroxide or lime), oxidation (with air, hydrogen peroxide, or sodium hypochlorite), flocculation, and clarification. Fliteway designs precipitation systems with chemical feed pumps, mix tanks, reaction chambers, inclined plate clarifiers, and filter presses for sludge dewatering.

pH Adjustment and Chemical Feed

Many groundwater treatment applications require pH adjustment for optimal treatment performance or to meet discharge limits. Acid or caustic chemical feed systems use metering pumps with flow-proportional or pH-feedback control to maintain the target pH range.Fliteway designs chemical feed systems with containment, safety showers, chemical storage tanks, and automated controls for safe and reliable operation.

Common Applications

VOC Removal

Chlorinated solvents (TCE, PCE, vinyl chloride, 1,1,1-TCA) and petroleum VOCs (BTEX) are among the most common groundwater contaminants at environmental remediation sites. Treatment typically involves air stripping and/or GAC adsorption, often in combination with upstream oil-water separation and filtration. Treatment targets range from low parts-per-billion for drinking water standards to higher concentrations for POTW discharge permits.

Metals Removal

Dissolved metals contamination arises from industrial operations, mining activities, and natural geochemistry. Common target metals include iron, manganese, arsenic, lead, zinc, and hexavalent chromium. Treatment approaches include oxidation and precipitation, adsorptive media (iron-based or manganese-based), and ion exchange.Fliteway designs metals treatment systems to achieve stringent discharge limits while minimizing chemical consumption and sludge generation.

Petroleum Hydrocarbon Treatment

Petroleum releases from underground storage tanks (USTs), above-ground storage tanks (ASTs), and pipeline breaks require groundwater treatment that addresses both dissolved-phase hydrocarbons and free-phase product. Treatment trains typically include oil-water separation, dissolved air flotation, filtration, and GAC polishing. Fliteway designs petroleum treatment systems for flow rates from 5 GPM to 500+ GPM.

System Configurations and Components

Fliteway builds groundwater treatment systems in skid-mounted, containerized, and fixed-installation configurations. Each system is designed as a complete treatment train with all necessary components for turnkey operation:

  • •Transfer pumps: Centrifugal, submersible, and pneumatic pumps sized for the design flow rate and total dynamic head. Duplex pump systems with alternating lead-lag operation for continuous service.
  • •Treatment vessels: Carbon steel, stainless steel, or fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP) vessels with appropriate internal linings for the specific water chemistry. ASME-rated pressure vessels where required.
  • •Piping and valves: Schedule 80 PVC, CPVC, stainless steel, or HDPE piping with appropriate valve types (butterfly, ball, check, solenoid) for process control and isolation.
  • •Chemical feed systems: Metering pumps, chemical storage tanks, calibration columns, and containment for pH adjustment, oxidant addition, and coagulant/flocculant dosing.
  • •Discharge monitoring: Flow totalizers, sample ports, pH and ORP probes, turbidity meters, and data logging equipment for regulatory compliance monitoring.
  • •Control panels: PLC-based or relay-logic control panels with motor starters, VFDs, alarm annunciation, and remote monitoring capability. See our Controls & Instrumentation page for details.

Frequently Asked Questions

What contaminants can groundwater treatment systems remove?
Fliteway groundwater treatment systems are designed to remove a broad range of contaminants including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as TCE, PCE, and BTEX; petroleum hydrocarbons including gasoline, diesel, and fuel oils; dissolved metals such as iron, manganese, arsenic, and lead; and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Treatment technology selection is driven by the specific contaminants present, their concentrations, the required effluent quality, and the applicable discharge standard (POTW, NPDES, or reinjection).
What is granular activated carbon (GAC) and how does it work?
Granular activated carbon (GAC) is a highly porous adsorption medium manufactured from coal, coconut shell, or wood. When contaminated water passes through a bed of GAC, organic contaminants are adsorbed onto the carbon surface. GAC is effective for removing VOCs, petroleum hydrocarbons, PFAS, and many other organic compounds. Fliteway designs GAC treatment systems in lead-lag vessel configurations so that one vessel can be changed out while the other continues treating water. GAC vessels range from small 55-gallon drum units to 20,000-pound bulk vessels depending on flow rate and contaminant loading.
How does air stripping remove VOCs from groundwater?
Air stripping transfers volatile contaminants from the water phase to the air phase by maximizing the contact area between contaminated water and clean air. In a packed-tower air stripper, water flows downward over plastic packing media while air is blown upward through the tower in a countercurrent flow pattern. The large surface area of the packing media promotes mass transfer of volatile compounds from the water to the air stream. The treated water exits the bottom of the tower for discharge, and the contaminated air stream is treated (typically with GAC or a thermal oxidizer) before atmospheric release. Air stripping is most effective for compounds with a high Henry's Law constant.
What discharge permits are needed for treated groundwater?
Discharge permit requirements vary by state and discharge location. Common options include: discharge to a publicly owned treatment works (POTW) under an industrial pretreatment permit; surface water discharge under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit; and groundwater reinjection under a state Underground Injection Control (UIC) permit. Each discharge pathway has different effluent limits and monitoring requirements. Fliteway designs treatment systems to meet the specific effluent limits of your discharge permit, and our systems include the monitoring instrumentation (flow totalizers, sample ports, pH meters) required for permit compliance.

Discuss Your Groundwater Treatment Project

Contact our engineering team to discuss your groundwater chemistry, flow rates, discharge requirements, and project timeline. We will design a treatment system that meets your technical and regulatory needs.

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