Stainless Steel Recycler Achieves Non-Detect Industrial Stormwater Results

Overview

Industry: Stainless Steel Recycling

Flow Rate:300 GPM

Project Period:2023–2025

When a leading stainless steel recycling facility, faced exceedances under California’s Industrial General Permit (IGP), they turned to FROG Environmental to design a stormwater treatment system capable of handling high-volume runoff and reducing pollutants to regulatory standards.

‍

The Challenge

The facility's stormwater runoff contained elevated levels of:

• Total Suspended Solids (TSS)
• Oil and Grease (O&G)
• Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)
• Aluminum (Al)
• Copper (Cu)
• Iron (Fe)
• Lead (Pb)
• Zinc (Zn)
  

Facing scrutiny from the Los Angeles Waterkeeper, the facility needed a robust system that could bring all pollutants below Numeric Action Levels (NALs) and Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) limits without interrupting daily operations.

The FROG Solution: Engineered for Performance

FROG Environmental engineered a 300-GPM stormwater treatment system that combined proven Best Management Practices (BMPs) with advanced filtration technology.

System Components:

• Chemical Injection & Flocculation — to bind fine particles and dissolved metals.
• Mechanical Filtration — for solids and debris removal.
• Media Filtration — with specialized MetalPROOF™ media and oil-absorbent materials.
• Water Storage & Flow Control — for consistent treatment and sampling reliability.
  

This multi-stage approach delivered comprehensive pollutant reduction and long-term operational stability.

‍

The Results: Compliance and Beyond

The outcome was exceptional:

• All pollutants reduced below Numeric Action Levels (NALs) and TNALs.
• Many constituents recorded non-detect results.
• Compliance restored under California IGP and TMDL standards.
• Facility maintained reliable 300 GPM flow with low maintenance needs.
  

The facility now operates confidently within compliance, even under heightened regulatory review.

‍

Supporting BMP Solutions

The treatment system incorporated and was supported by FROG’s line of stormwater BMP products, including:

• Industrial Wattles – For long-term sediment and oil filtration.
• MetalPROOF™ Media Socks – To remove dissolved Copper, Lead, and Zinc.
• StormPROOF® BMP Kit: Metals – A comprehensive metals filtration solution.
• CarbonPROOF™ Socks – To capture oil, grease, and hydrocarbons from runoff.
  

These products are designed to supportstormwater complianceand enhance treatment system performance for industrial facilities across California.

‍

Key Takeaways

• Fully compliant with California IGP and TMDL benchmarks.
• Achieved non-detect results across multiple pollutants.
• Proven, scalable design for high-flow stormwater systems (300 GPM).
• Reduced regulatory risk and improved environmental performance.