Reuse of wastewater generated at concrete plants in Florida in the production of fresh concrete

Abstract

Wastewater produced at ready-mixed concrete plants from the cleaning of the concrete truck's drum has recently been banned from direct disposal to ground or surface waters. Recent environmental regulations require ready-mixed concrete plants to manage and contain wastewater by the use of a reclamation system until it is environmentally acceptable for discharge. The objective of this study was to investigate water quality standards in Florida and the possibility of reusing concrete wastewater as aggregate irrigation and/or batch mixing water in the production of fresh concrete. The results indicate that wastewater used in this study, which did not meet the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) water quality specifications but did comply with the water quality standards of AASHTO M 157, had no detrimental effects on concrete properties. Based on the data produced during this project, it is recommended that the FDOT water quality specification be supplemented to address the use of wastewater as aggregate irrigation and/or batch mixing water in the production of fresh concrete.