Design/Build Project Description

Estes-Simmons Silverplating, Ltd.

Background

Estes-Simmons Silverplating, in Atlanta, GA, specializes in the repair and restoration of precious and semi-precious metal antiques and art objects. The company uses caustic cleaning, metal plating, buffing, polishing, and painting operations, yielding wastewater with high concentration of metals and cyanide.

Project Requirements

Complete Water Services (CWS) was retained to design and build a physically small but effective WWTP to meet stringent local wastewater discharge requirements.

  • Low flow rate (4,500 gpd)
  • Design/Build system with small footprint
  • Minimum operating costs
  • Minimum operator attention and maximum ease of operations
  • Effectively treat a wide range of contaminants including precious metals and cyanide
  • Recover precious metals such as silver and gold
  • Aggressive schedule, coincident with planned building refurbishment
  • Tight budget

System Components

  • Flow equalization
  • pH neutralization
  • Safe cyanide destruction
  • Chemical flocculation/coagulation
  • Clarification
  • Cartridge filtration
  • Ion exchange
  • Precious metal precipitation and recover

Results

  • Design Maximized Ease of Operation
  • Brought On-Line With No Interruption of Business
  • Stringent effluent standards met under low­flow conditions