Municipal
Baltimore “Fatberg” Causes Major Backup into Nearby Stream
Fats, oils and grease (FOG) are not to be taken lightly. You may think that a little grease here or a wet wipe there won’t hurt your drains, right? Recently in Baltimore, Maryland what has been referred to as a “fatberg” caused 1 million gallons of sewerage to leak into Jones Falls at the end of September. While investigating the leak, Baltimore authorities noted that about 85% of the pipe is blocked.
The overflows have since been redirected to storm drains, but this could have been prevented. Home owners and business owners a like should be wary of not disposing of FOGs down their drains and even though some of those wet wipes boast “flushable” they should still be disposed of in the trash. By following best practices such as installing a strainer on drains and sinks and disposing of grease properly this could have been an avoidable mess.
Municipal
What’s the Difference Between Alum, Cake, and Liquid Sludge?
EarthCare provides a wide variety of common waste services like septic pumping and drain cleaning, but we also take care of the less conventional services. This includes sludge hauling, where we go and remove waste byproducts and properly dispose of them. For those of you unfamiliar with this service, read on to learn about 3 types of sludge.
Alum Sludge
Alum Sludge is a by-product of water treatment plants, created during the filtration process. It’s usually kept in large alum lagoons or is spread on drying beds. To remove alum sludge, we use high-tech lagoon pumps that can handle up to 500,000 gallons. We also have a cable dredge capable of handling million-gallon projects.
Dry Cake Sludge
You don’t want to eat this cake! Dry cake sludge is basically waste from sewer plants that has had all the water and fluid extracted from it. Because of its tendency to be hard and sticky, it’s difficult to remove and must be disposed of properly. EarthCare has the equipment and skills needed to get the job done, and thanks to our relationships with landfills and beneficial reuse facilities, we have plenty of disposal options.
Liquid Sludge
Also known as leachate, liquid sludge is the byproduct produced at landfills. Like other sludge, it must be transported and disposed of appropriately. Not only do we handle the hauling service, we also keep methane collection lines beneath the landfill working correctly. With state-of-the-art jetting and camera equipment, we’re prepared for all aspects of leachate removal.
We’re Haul You Need
To learn more or to schedule any of our sludge hauling services, Contact Us!
Municipal
It’s Hurricane Season: Learn About Our Storm Water Removal Services
As we approach hurricane season, it makes sense to get educated on services related to weather damage. After heavy storms, it’s not unusual for wastewater facilities to suffer from flooding and structural damage. Leach fields can lose their ability to absorb moisture due to all the excess water, and septic tanks can overflow. Storm waters also have a bad habit of carrying all kinds of trash and debris into catch basins, worsening a flood situation.
EarthCare to the Rescue!
Thanks to our state-of-the-art fleet, we can easily handle the mayhem left from destructive weather. Hy Vac trucks, pump trailers and support equipment combined with a team of quick and experienced professionals are the ultimate solutions for cleaning up after large weather events. By adding attachments to our vactor trucks, EarthCare technicians can quickly remove leaves and garbage from deep within catch basins. Our vehicles have even been used to assist with catastrophes such as Hurricane Sandy in 2012, where hy vac trucks were instrumental in cleaning up flood waters and removing debris from dangerous areas.
After the Storm
Vactoring will get a big job done quickly and efficiently while reducing overall labor costs. Let us help you get your home, business, or community back to normal after bad weather hits. We don’t just handle storm recovery, of course. We’re a reliable service provider for all your wastewater needs. Sanitary sewage and septic facilities support a healthy environment and even help to decontaminate the air you breathe. So Contact EarthCare, your one-stop shop for waste maintenance.
Municipal
The Vital Role of Stabilized Lime in Wastewater Treatment
Have you ever wondered how wastewater is cleaned? When we pump your septic facilities and remove all the sludge, we then take it to an aerobic sequence batch reactor system to begin the process of filtration. A series of aerated tanks removes solid contaminants so that the effluent can be treated further at local wastewater plants and redistributed to homes as clean water.
The good news is that the remaining solid waste is not wasted either. By pushing it through a belt filter press and then treating it with lime, we create a Class B biosolid. The lime raises the pH of the sludge to 12, and this kills the pathogenic bacteria and viruses. The resulting biosolid can then be used for things such as fertilizer at farms.
At EarthCare we’re doing our part to minimize our environmental footprint, and we encourage you to participate. If your business or community would like to make sure its waste is being handled responsibly, Contact Us and let our guys discuss some earth-friendly options with you.
Municipal
What is CSE Training?
The safety of our employees is a huge priority at EarthCare, and the subject of confined space entry (CSE) is taken very seriously. Our technicians are placed in potentially life-threatening scenarios, so it’s important that they be well-trained and prepared for working in these small environments.
In case you’re unfamiliar with CSE, OSHA defines confined space as an area that has one or more of the following characteristics:
- Contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere
- Contains material that has the potential to engulf an entrant
- Has walls that converge inward or floors that slope downward and taper into a smaller area which could trap or asphyxiate an entrant
- Contains any other recognized safety or health hazard, such as unguarded machinery, exposed live wires, or heat stress
Authorized Entry
To qualify as the entrant in a CSE job, a technician must:
- Be knowledgeable of space hazards, including information on the means of exposure such as inhalation or dermal absorption, signs of symptoms and consequences of the exposure
- Use personal protective equipment properly
- Maintain communication with team members as necessary to enable them to monitor his status
- Exit from the confined space as soon as possible when:
- Ordered by the authorized person
- He or she recognizes the warning signs or symptoms of exposure
- A prohibited condition exists
- An automatic alarm is activated
- Alert team members when a prohibited condition exists or when warning signs or symptoms of exposure exist.
Working in Tight Conditions
We encounter confined spaces when working in tanks, pump chambers, manholes, or indirect waste pits. To ensure the safety of all involved, we only allow technicians with CSE licenses to work on these types of jobs. Furthermore, we require more than one licensed technician skilled in CSE be present to work collaboratively in these risky situations. So that EarthCare can accommodate the needs of our large customer base, we staff our crew with plenty of technicians carrying CSE licenses. With our well-equipped workforce, we carry the experience and manpower needed to safely get any job done. To have us evaluate your CSE project, Contact Us.
Municipal
How Often Do You Need to Clean Catch Basins?
I’ll bet you pass by a ton of catch basins on a daily basis but rarely think about what they do or how they impact you. Catch basins are essential to the well-being of your community and the environment, so it’s very important to clean them on a regular basis. Believe it or not, the beauty and functionality of your city and neighborhood streets can be spoiled by clogged catch basins.
Catch Basin Maintenance
A good time to check a catch basin is right after a storm. Flood waters bring all sorts of junk into a basin which increases the chances of clogs and overflows. Seasonal elements like melting snow and fall leaves can also contribute to problems. Ideally, you want to stop any problems before they develop, and anticipating these weather-related events will help. When the basin fills with sludge and other waste, a professional must pump out the dirty water and remove leaves, sticks, trash and other debris.
EarthCare Knows Catch Basins
Avoid emergency situations and traffic problems caused by catch basin overflows by hiring EarthCare to do routine checkups. We will track service and determine the right frequency for emptying out the basin, so you can be confident that it will perform efficiently year round. We want to help you keep your community clean and beautiful. For more information on catch basin maintenance or any of our other services, Contact EarthCare or Request Service Now.
Municipal
What is a Frac Tank?
A frac tank is a large container that can be used for temporary and portable storage. When I say large, I mean like large enough to hold an elephant. They are generally not used for animals, however. Instead, you would normally store fluids or chemicals in these containers that come in many shapes and sizes. One of the more common scenarios where you would find these would be in the fracturing of oil and gas wells, but we have lots of great uses for them in the waste industry as well.
How Do We Use Frac Tanks?
EarthCare customers use frac tanks to store a variety of things. Farmers, for example, use them for manure storage and even store water in them for watering their animals out in the field. Maybe a large factory is experiencing some sort of septic problem and needs a place to put the waste. Frac tanks can also serve as a holding chamber while waste is being treated. Add chemicals to wastewater in the frac tank and afterward, you can pump out the treated water since the tanks include pumps at the bottom.
We’ve Got Tanks
If you need a frac tank, we have rentals ranging in size from 10,000 to 21,000 gallons. From residential to commercial and municipal septic needs, EarthCare has you covered! We also offer waste disposal services including Bulk Hauling, Leachate Removal and Hydro Excavating. To learn more or to rent one of our high-quality frac tanks, Contact Us.
Municipal
What is Dry Cake Sludge Hauling?
EarthCare provides a wide variety of common commercial waste services like grease trap care and drain cleaning, but we also take care of the less conventional services. This includes sludge hauling, where we go and remove the byproduct of sewage and water treatment plants. Dry cake sludge is basically waste that has had all the water and fluid extracted from it. Because of its tendency to be hard and sticky, it’s difficult to remove and must be disposed of properly.
You Don’t Wanna Eat This Cake
Although dry cake sludge plays a beneficial role in an efficient sewer system, it’s probably not beneficial for your digestive system. Leave this cake for us! We will remove and transport it to be properly disposed of or reused to make useful materials such as fertilizer. Ridding your system of sludge should be part of your regular waste maintenance routine so that your facilities remain sanitary and run efficiently. To have an EarthCare professional visit your site and recommend a comprehensive maintenance plan which includes cake sludge hauling, Contact Us or Request Service Now.
All, Commercial, Municipal, Residential
Doing Our Part When It Comes To Renewable Energy
Last year, about 10% of the country’s total energy use came from renewable energy sources. Experts and researchers predict our planet could be fully powered by renewable energy in the next 2 to 4 decades. What does this mean exactly? Well, it means that our energy would come from things that don’t run out, eliminating our reliance on things like crude oil. Instead, electricity and power would come from sources such as wind, solar, water and yes, waste. That’s right, the sewage and grease you produce on a daily basis can actually be transformed into a renewable energy source.
No Way!
Way! Thanks to an amazing machine called a methane digester, organic waste can be transformed into power. Let me explain. A digester works much like your stomach in that stuff goes into an airtight vessel where anaerobic digestion takes place. As the materials decompose, methane and other gases are produced. This combination of gases, known as biogas is then coupled with a generator to produce energy.
There’s More!
Digesters are earth-friendly because they reduce the amount of methane gas and other greenhouse gases that escapes into the atmosphere. Methane gas is more than 20 times more harmful to the planet than carbon dioxide, and it’s considered to be a chief component in global warming. Digesters capture all this so damaging gases doesn’t pollute and stink up the air. It does all this, along with creating a ton of clean energy.
We Don’t Waste Waste
As our name implies, we care about our planet. It’s our goal to uphold a reputation worthy of our name, which is why we invest in the latest and greatest means of environmental maintenance. Our investment into innovations like the anaerobic digester proves how much we care about Earth. We also have a team of talented engineers and technicians working to incorporate new and effective ways to clean and recycle waste materials. You can trust us to do our part to provide sustainable methodologies to ensure a safe place for future generations to thrive. Contact Us to learn more about our environmental services or to learn ways you can contribute to green initiatives.
Commercial, Municipal, Residential
How is a Camera Useful for Pipelining and Drain Cleaning Issues?
As technology advances, so does Earthcare’s ability to provide quality service at all levels of drain and septic maintenance. One of our most innovative tools is our video camera inspections due to its ability to cut costs and labor time. Let’s compare the days before and after drain line cameras came into play.
Before Cameras
Diagnosing an obstruction in pipes and septic systems was a guessing game back in the old days. Was it a tree root, was it grease or maybe sludge that was blocking water flow? Where was the clog? Was a pipe broken or rusted? To find out, technicians would have to dig up the line just to find the problem. Customers had to pay for excavation and deal with the inconvenience of having their yard inside out for weeks.
Today
Thankfully, technology has provided a better solution. Technicians armed with small video cameras can now “see” inside of underground pipelines. The cameras can pinpoint the exact location of the problem eliminating the need to dig up large areas where the pipes lay. They can also reveal the cause of the obstruction which tells our guys how to proceed with repairs. Whether it’s a minor clog that can be snaked or an invasive tree root that needs to be removed, our technicians can handle everything accordingly without wasting time or energy on trial and error.
Camera’s Do More Than Just Diagnose
Of course, preventative maintenance is always better than reactive. In addition to routine maintenance service, Earthcare especially encourages commercial and municipal customers to schedule regular video camera inspections as a preventative measure. Any problems caught sooner rather than later, end up saving lots of money in the long run. For more information or to schedule your video camera inspection, Contact Us.
