Fluid Tech project case study. Prepared with the DOE prime contractor Central Plateau Cleanup Company (CPCCo). The summary below is provided for reference and search; full details are in the WM2026 conference paper cited at the foot of this page.
01 Overview
02 The challenge
The 100-K Closure Project needed a water-treatment system to replace the basin's existing Skimmer Water Cleaning system and maintain water quality through the final phases of deactivation — while transferring the basin's water volume to the Hanford Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF). Several factors made this difficult:
- No manned access: projected dose rates rising through the dewatering evolution meant radiological controls precluded manned access to the basin during operations.
- A water-quality excursion: in-situ grouting of underwater vessels drove the water strongly alkaline, causing the initial ion-exchange mixed-bed resin to fail in the high-pH conditions.
- Unknown starting point: the new filtration system entered service with unknown filter-removal efficiencies for the various radionuclides and suspended solids present.
03 The solution — ion-specific media & shielded modules
Fluid Tech provided technical support to CPCCo across the run-in period and beyond, pairing advanced process monitoring with highly selective ion-exchange media deployed in shielded Ion Exchange Modules (IXMs) within a four-stage filtration train:
- Four-stage train: 5-micron particulate pre-filters (Stage 1) → an Ion Exchange Module → a second 5-micron stage → 1-micron finishing filters, feeding 8,000-gallon cargo tankers.
- Shielded IXMs: each module held six 4.5 ft³ resin canisters encased in high-density concrete, weighing roughly 42,000 lbs — enough shielding that a single module could capture up to 70 Ci of Cs-137 and 1.6 TRU Ci before change-out.
- Isotope-specific media: WTZ 100®/200® targeted Cs and Sr; FHA targeted TRU and Sr — selectivity that concentrated the activity and let each loaded module ship to the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF) as Low-Level Waste.
04 Outcome
- Basin dewatered and stabilized: final dewatering completed July 26, 2024; grout and controlled density fill completed August 14, 2024.
- Recovered from the excursion: selective media and process changes restored performance after the high-alkaline resin failure that followed underwater grouting.
- Transferable lessons: the performance metrics and lessons learned are intended to inform future ISM applications across DOE-managed legacy waste sites.