For the second consecutive year, Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) passed the City of San Diego's Sewer Connection Inspection with no violations or discrepancies.
The city's Public Utilities Industrial Wastewater Control Program conducts inspections and issues sewer discharge permits for businesses and industries throughout its jurisdiction.
Because FRCSW is a tenant command, operating discharge permits are issued to Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Naval Base Coronado (NBC).
The annual three-day inspection concluded August 13 after viewing 12 of FRCSW's facilities.
"The inspector has a list of every building on the base to look at including NBC and FRCSW. They try to see as many buildings as time permits," said Raymond Paulson, environmental engineer.
The city has the option to inspect all FRCSW and NBC facilities.
One of the areas inspected included the commands paint complex (Buildings 464, 465, 467, and 468) where a new wash rack is scheduled for completion in November 2023 on the north side of Buildings 464 and 465.
Of note was that the existing and new wash rack requires a water diversion valve to limit rainwater to industrial water pretreatment and sewer.
At the test line, a new Oil Water Separator (OWS) system will be completed in December to replace the existing system, which is more than 20 years old. The OWS diverts 99 percent of rainwater to the bay.
Paulson said that the new system will be Professional Engineer (PE) certified to satisfy the environmental compliance requirements, and the replacement cost is approximately $300,000.
In Building 250, new X-ray equipment is slated for operational use in the command's non-destructive inspection (NDI) program by the end of September or early October.
"During normal operations, there should be no waste generated," said environmental engineer Dustin Martinez. "If there is a defective part, then the technicians develop the x-ray to send with the part. At this point, the waste is the fixer and the developer solution."
FRCSW generates approximately 2.1 million gallons of industrial wastewater annually.
Editors note: The command would like to recognize environmental engineers Larry Lai, Mike Volpe, Raymond Buckman, John Gagne, Dustin Martinez and Raymond Paulson for their work during the city's wastewater inspection.