Pond & Lagoon Cleanouts

Capacity Loss and Production Impact

Sludge accumulation reduces your lagoon's effective volume by 30-70% over 5-10 years, forcing wastewater treatment process modifications, increasing discharge concentrations that risk NPDES violations, requiring emergency tankering to off-site facilities, and potentially halting production when capacity is exhausted. Lagoon cleaning restores designed treatment volume and prevents operational disruptions that cost thousands per hour in lost production.

EPA Compliance and Inspection Readiness

EPA inspections under RCRA (40 CFR Part 264/265) and Clean Water Act authority examine lagoon operating records, liner integrity documentation, and freeboard maintenance. Accumulated sludge reduces required freeboard (typically 2 feet minimum), triggers compliance violations, and signals inadequate operations and maintenance. Complete lagoon cleaning before EPA inspections demonstrates facility stewardship and prevents enforcement actions.

Liner Failure Prevention and Groundwater Protection

You cannot inspect liner condition with 3-10 feet of accumulated sludge covering the lagoon floor. Undetected liner failures allow hazardous constituents to migrate into groundwater, creating CERCLA liability, triggering corrective action requirements under RCRA, and exposing facility ownership to third-party contamination claims. Lagoon cleaning provides the only opportunity to verify liner integrity and prevent catastrophic groundwater contamination.

NPDES Permit Violations and Discharge Limits

Reduced treatment capacity forces shorter hydraulic retention times, preventing adequate biological treatment, chemical precipitation, or settling. Your effluent concentrations exceed NPDES permit limits for BOD, TSS, metals, or nutrients—triggering permit violations with penalties of $59,973 per day per violation (2024 Clean Water Act rate under 33 USC §1319). Lagoon cleaning restores designed retention time and ensures compliant discharge.

Facility Closure or Sale Requirements

Environmental due diligence for facility sales or lease transfers requires lagoon closure plans, sludge characterization data, and liner condition assessments. Accumulated sludge represents deferred environmental liability that reduces property value or prevents transactions. Complete lagoon cleaning and documented liner integrity increase asset value and facilitate real estate transactions.

Cost Optimization Through Extended Cleaning Intervals

Traditional dredging removes 40-60% of sludge and requires cleanouts every 3-5 years. Polymer solidification technology removes 100% of accumulated material, extends cleaning intervals to 10-15+ years, and reduces lifecycle costs by eliminating multiple future cleanout cycles. Our Ohio project extended intervals from 5 years to 15 years—eliminating two entire cleanout cycles over the lagoon's remaining service life.

Step 1: Lagoon Assessment and Sludge Sampling

Your lagoon cleaning begins with comprehensive site assessment: sludge depth measurement using depth probes, sludge sampling for chemical composition analysis, clay or HDPE liner condition inspection, and waste classification as RCRA hazardous (Subtitle C) or non-hazardous (Subtitle D).

This assessment determines the most cost-effective cleaning method, disposal facility requirements, permit coordination needs, and project timeline. You receive transparent estimates with no hidden fees.

Step 2: Dewatering and Water Management

Dewatering removes standing water to expose the sludge layer for treatment and removal. Depending on your facility permits and water quality:

• Clean water is treated on-site and discharged under NPDES authorization
• Contaminated water is hauled to permitted wastewater treatment facilities
• Hazardous leachate is managed as RCRA waste with proper manifesting

Proper water management prevents EPA violations during your lagoon cleaning operations.

Step 3: Polymer Solidification Treatment

Polymer solidification agents are applied to liquid sludge, triggering a chemical reaction that binds moisture and creates a stable solid mass. Your sludge solidifies in 24-48 hours depending on composition and ambient temperature.

What this means for your project:

• Solidified sludge prevents leaching during excavation and transport
• Material meets EPA land disposal restrictions without additional treatment
• Disposal volume reduces by eliminating free liquids
• You can place non-hazardous sludge in standard landfills if it passes TCLP testing

Our Ohio project used polymer solidification to extend cleaning intervals from 5 years to 15 years—the longest interval improvement we've documented in industrial lagoon cleaning.

Step 4: Sludge Excavation and Removal

Once solidified or dewatered, your sludge is excavated using:

• Long-arm excavators for deep lagoons (15-25 feet)
• Bulldozers and loaders for large-volume removal
• Vacuum trucks for confined areas or residual material
• Off-road equipment to prevent liner damage

All excavated material is loaded into lined trucks and transported to EPA-approved disposal facilities with hazardous waste manifests (if RCRA-regulated) or non-hazardous waste documentation.

Step 5: Liner Inspection and Replacement

With the lagoon completely empty, your liner integrity can finally be inspected for:

• Cracks, tears, or chemical degradation
• Groundwater infiltration points
• Compliance with EPA secondary containment standards

Damaged liners are replaced using compacted clay liners (24-36 inch thickness typical) or synthetic HDPE geomembrane (40-80 mil thickness) that meet 40 CFR Part 264/265 Subpart N requirements for surface impoundments.



Our Ohio client inspected their clay liner for the first time in 20 years during our cleanout, discovering deterioration that would have caused groundwater contamination and EPA violations within 18 months.

Step 6: Compliance Documentation

Your lagoon cleaning project includes:

• EPA hazardous waste manifests (if sludge is RCRA-regulated)
• Certificates of Disposal from permitted TSDFs or landfills
• Waste characterization reports showing TCLP test results
• NPDES discharge records for dewatered water
• State environmental agency compliance records

This documentation satisfies EPA inspections, state audits, and facility insurance requirements.

Hazardous vs. Non-Hazardous Sludge Classification

Your lagoon sludge must be tested and classified before disposal. Hazardous waste under RCRA Subtitle C (40 CFR Part 261) includes:

• Sludge containing F-listed or K-listed wastes
• Sludge exhibiting ignitability (flash point <140°F)
• Sludge exhibiting corrosivity (pH ≤2 or ≥12.5)
• Sludge exhibiting reactivity (unstable, explosive, or generates toxic gases)
• Sludge exhibiting toxicity (fails TCLP testing for heavy metals or organics)

Non-hazardous industrial sludge under Subtitle D can be disposed at permitted solid waste landfills but still requires characterization and manifesting.

TCLP testing per EPA Method 1311, pH analysis, and waste profiling ensure accurate classification and compliant disposal for your project.

Lagoon Dewatering Permits and Discharge Requirements

Dewatering your industrial lagoons typically requires:

• NPDES permit authorization for water discharge under 40 CFR Part 122
• State water quality approval for temporary discharge
• Off-site disposal at permitted wastewater treatment facilities if water quality exceeds discharge limits

All permit applications and regulatory approvals are coordinated to maintain compliance throughout your project.

Liner Requirements for Industrial Lagoons

EPA requires surface impoundments (lagoons) storing hazardous waste to maintain functional liners under 40 CFR Part 264/265 Subpart N. Many states extend liner requirements to industrial wastewater lagoons even if sludge is non-hazardous.

Your liner systems must:

• Prevent migration of waste constituents into groundwater
• Meet minimum thickness and permeability standards (typically 1×10⁻⁷ cm/sec for clay, 1×10⁻¹² cm/sec for synthetic)
• Include leak detection for double-liner systems

Lagoon cleaning provides the only opportunity to inspect liner condition and address failures before they cause environmental contamination at your facility.

Ohio Manufacturing Facility: 5-Year Interval Extended to 15 Years

Challenge: Two clay-lined wastewater lagoons (90'×140'×20' each) required dredging every 5 years. Dredging never fully cleared basins, preventing liner inspection and accelerating sludge accumulation.

Solution: Complete dewatering, polymer solidification of accumulated sludge, full excavation in 5 days per lagoon, and first liner inspection in 20 years.

Results:

• Cleaning interval extended from 5 years to 15 years (200% improvement)
• Eliminated two future cleanout cycles over 15-year period
• Clay liner integrity verified and localized repairs completed
• Full operational capacity restored

Virginia Industrial Lagoon: 8,000 Tons Removed in 7 Days After Competitor Failure

Challenge: Previous contractor worked 11 months attempting to remove 8,000 tons of sludge but left project incomplete. Facility faced ongoing downtime, mounting costs, and compliance deadline pressure.

Solution: Mobilized within 48 hours, applied 140 tons of polymer solidification agent, excavated all 8,000 tons in 7 days, provided complete manifests and disposal certificates.

Results:

• 7-day completion vs. competitor's incomplete 12-month timeline
• Minimal volume increase (solidification efficiency of 92%)
• Lagoon returned to full operation
• Avoided continued downtime costs
  

Pulp & Paper Mills

Lagoon Types: Black liquor treatment, recovery boiler clarifiers, wastewater stabilization ponds

Typical Sludge: Lignin solids, fiber fines, biological sludge, lime mud, ash residues

Cleaning Triggers: Loss of retention time affecting BOD/TSS removal, NPDES discharge violations, capacity constraints during production increases

Food & Beverage Processing

Lagoon Types: Primary treatment basins, dissolved air flotation (DAF) systems, aerobic/anaerobic lagoons

Typical Sludge: Organic matter, fats/oils/grease (FOG), protein solids, carbohydrate residues

Cleaning Triggers: Odor complaints from neighbors, exceeding organic loading rates, seasonal capacity requirements, facility expansion

Chemical Manufacturing

Lagoon Types: Neutralization basins, process wastewater lagoons, storm water retention

Typical Sludge: Chemical precipitates, heavy metal hydroxides, reaction byproducts, catalyst residues

Cleaning Triggers: RCRA compliance inspections, TCLP failures indicating hazardous classification, liner integrity concerns, facility closure requirements

Metal Finishing & Electroplating

Lagoon Types: Rinse water treatment, chromate reduction basins, hydroxide precipitation lagoons

Typical Sludge: Heavy metal sludge (chromium, nickel, copper, zinc), hydroxide precipitates

Cleaning Triggers: NPDES metals exceedances, accumulation exceeding 70% design depth, EPA inspection preparation, pretreatment program violations

Municipal & Industrial Wastewater Treatment

Lagoon Types: Primary settling, secondary biological treatment, tertiary polishing, equalization basins

Typical Sludge: Biosolids, activated sludge, grit, screenings, scum

Cleaning Triggers: Reduced hydraulic retention time, effluent quality deterioration, state-mandated inspection cycles, plant capacity upgrades

Agricultural Operations

Lagoon Types: Livestock waste lagoons, dairy manure systems, poultry operations, anaerobic digesters

Typical Sludge: Manure solids, organic matter, fibrous material, nitrogen-rich biosolids

Cleaning Triggers: Nutrient management plan requirements, loss of treatment volume, agronomic application restrictions, permit renewal conditions

Power Generation & Utilities

Lagoon Types: Coal ash ponds, flue gas desulfurization (FGD) lagoons, cooling tower blowdown basins

Typical Sludge: Coal combustion residuals (CCR), gypsum, calcium sulfate, scale deposits, boiler ash

Cleaning Triggers: EPA Coal Ash Rule compliance (40 CFR Part 257), structural stability assessments, facility decommissioning, liner retrofit requirements

Textile & Dyeing Operations

Lagoon Types: Dye wastewater treatment, chemical treatment basins, color removal systems

Typical Sludge: Dye precipitates, fiber waste, chemical residues, biological solids

Cleaning Triggers: Color removal efficiency decline, COD/BOD discharge violations, odor issues, facility modernization projects

Petroleum Refining & Petrochemical

Lagoon Types: API oil-water separators, dissolved air flotation, biological treatment lagoons, stormwater retention

Typical Sludge: Oily sludge, hydrocarbon residues, spent catalyst, sulfur compounds, biological solids



Cleaning Triggers: NPDES benzene or oil/grease exceedances, SPCC plan requirements, facility turnaround scheduling, consent decree obligations

Service-Driven: Proprietary Polymer Technology

Nationwide coverage with polymer formulations engineered specifically for industrial lagoon sludge. Our solidification delivers 85-95% efficiency, prevents leachate generation during transport, meets EPA land disposal restrictions under 40 CFR Part 268 without additional treatment, and extends your cleaning intervals to 10-15+ years vs. 3-5 years with dredging. Complete projects include liner inspection for the first time in decades—preventing catastrophic failures and EPA violations. Urgent projects mobilize within 24-48 hours to meet compliance deadlines and production schedules.



Client-Focused: Fastest Documented Timelines

Second-generation family-owned business with 30+ years in environmental services. Every customer receives a dedicated project manager with direct cell phone access. Our team's hundreds of years of combined experience means rapid mobilization: 8,000 tons removed in 7 days (Virginia), 3,300 tons in 8 days during holidays (Christmas Eve completion), 5-day cleanout per lagoon (Ohio). Real people answer phones 7 AM-5 PM weekdays for project consultation and scheduling.

Guaranteed Compliance: Complete Documentation

25+ years, tens of thousands of projects, zero EPA violations. Every lagoon cleaning includes hazardous waste manifests with EPA ID numbers per 40 CFR Part 262, Certificates of Disposal from permitted facilities, TCLP and waste characterization reports per EPA Method 1311, NPDES discharge records under 40 CFR Part 122, photographic documentation of liner condition, and regulatory clearance for EPA inspections. $21 million pollution liability insurance protects your facility.