Essential Solutions for Industrial Wastewater Management

 

Oil water separators (OWS) are critical components in managing industrial wastewater, effectively removing oils, grease, and hydrocarbons from water before discharge or reuse. These systems leverage gravity separation principles to allow lighter oils to float to the surface while heavier solids settle at the bottom, producing cleaner effluent. For enhanced efficiency, advanced designs incorporate coalescing media—such as our industry tested PVC coalescing media—which increases the surface area for oil droplets to merge (coalesce) into larger globules, accelerating separation and improving removal rates even in challenging conditions.

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Where Are Oil Water Separators Used?

Oil water separators are deployed in environments where oil-contaminated water is generated, preventing environmental pollution, ensuring regulatory compliance, and protecting downstream equipment. Common applications include:

• Spill containment areas in refineries and storage terminals

• Refineries and Petrochemical facilities

• Steel Mills and other heavy industry

• Process water treatment in manufacturing plants

• Stormwater runoff management at industrial sites

• Bilge water treatment on ships and marine vessels

• Wash bays and vehicle maintenance facilities (e.g., car washes, truck depots)

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Industries That Rely on Oil Water Separators

Virtually any sector handling oils or fuels benefits from these systems. Key industries include:

• Oil and Gas (refineries, drilling sites, pipelines)

• Manufacturing (metal fabrication, food processing, chemicals)

• Automotive and Transportation (fleet maintenance, airports, rail yards)

• Mining and Quarrying

• Power Generation (utilities, renewable energy facilities)

• Marine and Shipping

• Food and Beverage (rendering plants, slaughterhouses)

 

Our coalescing oil water separators have proven reliable in these diverse settings, with installations on every continent except Antarctica since our founding in 1982.

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How Do Oil Water Separators Work?

At their core, oil water separators exploit the difference in specific gravity between oil (typically 0.8–0.9) and water (1.0). In a basic gravity separator:

1. Contaminated water enters a settling chamber.

2. Oils rise to the top, forming a floating layer skimmed off by oil skimmers such as our SKIMMO

3. Solids drop to the bottom for periodic removal.

4. Treated water exits from a mid-level outlet.

 

Our units elevate this process with PVC coalescing media packs — crossflow plates that force small oil droplets to collide and coalesce into larger ones, achieving 95%+ removal of free oils down to 20 microns in a compact footprint. This media design great enhances gravity separation as compared to traditional API separators relying on gravity alone, or CPI separators using plate packs with a fraction of our media pack surface area. 

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Key Benefits and Client Considerations

• Regulatory Compliance: Meet EPA, IMO, and local discharge standards (e.g., <10–15 ppm oil in effluent).

• Cost Savings: Reuse treated water for non-potable needs; minimize disposal fees.

• Compact & Scalable: From 1 GPM compact units to 5,000+ GPM custom engineered treatment systems.

• Low Maintenance: PVC media is corrosion-resistant and easy to clean; integrated oil skimmers automate oil recovery and minimize operator time demand.

• Environmental Impact: Prevent groundwater contamination and wildlife harm.

• Proven Longevity: 40+ years of field data shows our separators outlast competitors in harsh conditions.

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Sizing Tip for Non-Experts

Flow rate (GPM) and oil concentration (ppm) dictate separator sizing.  Settable solids dictate the need for a hopper bottom design.  Many industrial processes in manufacturing can work with OWS in the 50 -150 GPM range our most common sizes.  For large wastewater treatment demands in refineries or steel mills we might see OWS at or above 1000 GPM.  We offer free sizing consultations for your specific application.

 

Maintenance Best Practices

• Skim floating oil weekly if using a manual skimmer, or employ our SKIMMO for constant automatic skimming

• Pump out sludge quarterly.

• Inspect coalescing media annually—our PVC packs typically last 10–15 years.

 

Since 1982, we've engineered coalescing oil water separators and oil skimmers that deliver reliable, low-maintenance performance worldwide. Whether upgrading an aging system or designing for a new facility, our solutions ensure clean water discharge without complexity.

 

Ready to optimize your wastewater treatment? Contact us for a custom oil water separator quote tailored to your industry.