Centralized wastewater treatment method and system

A method for treating wastewater arising from a plurality of oilfield well pads, comprising:

• identifying a first oilfield well pad to have a first temporary housing facility at a first location;
• estimating a first wastewater production rate from a first septic tank in fluid communication with the first temporary housing facility;
• identifying a second oilfield well pad to have a second temporary housing facility at a second location, where the first location and the second location are spaced apart from one another a first distance of at least 0.5 miles;
• estimating a second wastewater production rate from a second septic tank in fluid communication with the second temporary housing facility, where the estimated second wastewater production rate is less than the estimated first wastewater production rate;
• positioning, based on the estimated second wastewater production rate being less than the estimated first wastewater production rate, a centralized treatment facility at a central location that is spaced apart from the first location a second distance and spaced apart from the second location a third distance, where the third distance is greater than the second distance;
• using a first wastewater transport vehicle to collect at least a portion of the wastewater stored in the first septic tank and transporting the collected wastewater from the first septic tank to the centralized treatment facility;
• using a second wastewater transport vehicle to collect at least a portion of the wastewater stored in the second septic tank and transporting the collected wastewater from the second septic tank to the centralized treatment facility, where the second wastewater transport vehicle is the first wastewater transport vehicle or is different from the first wastewater transport vehicle;
• combining as influent the collected wastewater from the first and second oilfield well pads in a primary treatment system at the central location;
• treating the influent from both well pads simultaneously in a solid settlement tank and an equalization tank in fluid communication with the solid settlement tank to produce primary effluent, the primary treatment system being adapted to contain and treat wastewater simultaneously from each septic tank associated with each of the temporary housing facilities;
• introducing the primary effluent into a secondary treatment system at the central location and in fluid communication with the primary treatment system;
• treating the primary effluent with the secondary treatment system to produce secondary effluent;
• and
• utilizing the secondary effluent in well operations at one of the oilfield well pads.

A method for treating wastewater arising from a plurality of oilfield well pads, comprising:

• storing wastewater from a first man camp facility in a first septic tank at a first well pad;
• determining a first wastewater production rate of the first man camp facility;
• storing wastewater from a second man camp facility in a second septic tank at a second well pad, wherein the second man camp facility is spaced apart from the first man camp facility;
• determining a second wastewater production rate of the second man camp facility, wherein the second wastewater production rate is less than the first wastewater production rate;
• positioning, based on the second wastewater production rate being less than the first wastewater production rate, a centralized treatment facility at a central location that is closer to the first well pad than the second well pad;
• using a wastewater transport vehicle to collect at least a portion of the wastewater stored in each of the first septic tank and the second septic tank and transporting the collected wastewater to the centralized treatment facility;
• transporting the collected wastewater to a primary treatment system at the centralized treatment facility;
• introducing the collected wastewater from the first and second man camp facilities as influent into the primary treatment system;
• treating the influent from the first and second man camp facilities simultaneously with the primary treatment system by segregating settleable solids from floatable solids and thereafter balancing the composition of the influent to produce primary effluent;
• introducing the primary effluent into a secondary treatment system at the centralized treatment facility;
• treating the primary effluent with the secondary treatment system to produce secondary effluent;
• and
• dispersing at least a portion of the secondary effluent on the ground.

A method for treating wastewater arising from a plurality of temporary housing facilities, comprising:

• storing wastewater from a first temporary housing facility in a first septic tank at a first remote location;
• determining a first wastewater production rate of the first temporary housing facility;
• storing wastewater from a second temporary housing facility in a second septic tank at a second remote location, wherein the second temporary housing facility is spaced apart from the first temporary housing facility;
• determining a second wastewater production rate of the second man camp facility, wherein the second wastewater production rate is less than the first wastewater production rate;
• positioning, based on the second wastewater production rate being less than the first wastewater production rate, a centralized treatment facility at a central location that is closer to the first temporary housing facility than the second temporary housing facility;
• using a wastewater transport vehicle to collect at least a portion of the wastewater stored in each of the first septic tank and the second septic tank and transporting the collected wastewater to the centralized treatment facility;
• transporting the collected wastewater to a primary treatment system at the centralized treatment facility;
• introducing the collected wastewater from the first and second temporary housing facilities as influent into the primary treatment system;
• treating the influent from the first and second temporary housing facilities simultaneously with the primary treatment system by segregating settleable solids from floatable solids and thereafter balancing the composition the influent to produce primary effluent;
• introducing the primary effluent into a secondary treatment system at the centralized treatment facility;
• treating the primary effluent with the secondary treatment system to produce secondary effluent;
• and
• dispersing at least a portion of the secondary effluent on the ground.