In the current environmental climate, Charah has developed solutions to assist our clients in eliminating coal combustion residuals (CCR) impoundments that have been a common disposal or storage method for decades. Charah’s innovative approach provides reliable and economical options for the power plant to convert a wet slurry impoundment to a dry management method. We can provide comprehensive dewatering systems as part of our PondX® impoundment elimination solutions.

Charah’s PondX® solution eliminates the impoundment, but allows the wet sluice systems for fly ash, bottom ash, flue gas desulfurization (FGD) byproducts and miscellaneous waste waters to remain in operation and avoids the expense of a complete wet to dry conversion. The PondX® system can be installed at a convenient location along the slurry pipelines to intercept and divert the slurry flow. The slurry water, with all CCRs, is routed through the PondX® facility where the solids are separated from the slurry water. Wastewater treatment is performed and the slurry water is returned to the power plant for recycle or discharged through the plant’s normal permitted outfall. The solids separation and wastewater treatment are handled with industry proven equipment and a reliable process design that has been used for years for CCR dewatering.

Subsequent to processing through a PondX® facility, the ash, FGD byproducts and miscellaneous waste water solids are removed by truck and placed in a landfill at a moisture content near optimum for compaction. The PondX® system also has an added value in that it can be easily modified to address new wastewater treatment requirements under the Steam Electric Guidelines. Wastewater treatment can be addressed by the PondX® facility while solids removal is performed. This innovative solution allows Charah to eliminate ash and FGD ponds or impoundments without the added capital expense of a complete system change-out for each byproduct handling system. Charah provides the PondX® solution as a Charah build, own and operate facility or can adapt to an operating structure that best fits the client’s needs.