Disposal Well Protection

Water treatment solutions

Saltworks can reduce fluid volume by treating it with a range of solutions and products, depending on your needs. Upon mixing, some waters pose a risk of precipitating and plugging active disposal wells. We can protect disposal wells from plugging with our real-time sensors, by detecting incompatible wastewaters and preventing commingling.

Disposal Wells 

Disposal wells are an important means to safely dispose of many of the most hazardous fluids deep underground. Disposal wells may face challenges such as:

  • Plugging of active wells, caused by the mixing of different wastewaters with incompatible dissolved ions
  • Regulatory limits to injection pressures and volumes due to seismicity or leaking risks

Saltworks can help with both of these challenges.

A photo of a wastewater disposal truck used in brine management
Photo of plugged pipework from scaling chemical compounds

Protect Against Plugging 

When two different wastewaters are allowed to commingle, a water-insoluble solid can be precipitated. This risks plugging the well. One example is the mixing of sulfate- and barium-rich waters, which react to form barium sulfate.

 

A real-time sensor can protect a disposal well by screening the wastewaters for high content of incompatible ions. Controls using our ScaleSense sensor can divert an incompatible flow into a separate stream, which we can inexpensively treat before disposal, for example with a product like BrineRefine.

Volume Reduction

Volume reduction options can help to achieve the best use of disposal well pressure and volume capacity. Our membrane products—such as XtremeRO—can produce a more concentrated, lower volume fluid. Our SaltMaker evaporators can reduce volume further, with options to suit your energy, chemistry, and capacity needs.

 

Saltworks’ volume reduction experts can help you to understand your treatment and disposal options, including discharge regulations and economics. Contact us to get started.

A photo of a Saltworks XtremeRO reverse osmosis plant

Related Products

Related Resources

A photo of a wastewater disposal truck used in brine management
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How to Manage Brine Disposal & Treatment

The many options for managing brine, a term for saline wastewater from industrial processes, fall under two categories: brine treatment and brine disposal. Brine treatment involves desalinating the brine for reuse and producing a concentrated brine (lower liquid waste volume), or residual solids (zero liquid discharge).

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A photo of injection wells used for wastewater disposal
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Protect Disposal Wells, Optimize Capacity, and Reduce Disposal Costs

Disposal wells are an established method for disposing of hazardous fluids by injecting them deep underground. Commingling (mixing) incompatible fluids in a disposal well may inadvertently cause solids to precipitate, which risks plugging the well. Plugging is disruptive and costly to fix, but operators can prevent it with advanced sensors, controls, and targeted wastewater treatment.