Concrete is a construction material with high alkalinity- that is, concrete is highly basic (as opposed to acidic) on the pH scale. This basic composition of concrete causes headaches in it's manufacturing process. When concrete is made in a ready-mix plant, wastewater byproduct is created that needs to be disposed of. This waste takes on the alkaline properties of the concrete. If released directly into the watershed, this wastewater can potentially "cause chemical reactions resulting in high concentrations of ammonia poisonous to fish. The size of the aquatic bacterial population can also be increased by high pH wastewater discharges(Walters, Adam S. "Enforcement Action" Concrete Products May 2000)." Aquatic plant life can also be damaged as a result of the wastewater.
The Environmental Protection Agency regulates point sources that discharge pollutants into U.S. waters through the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) discharge program (http://cfpub.epa.gov/NPDES/). Concrete plants must be in compliance with NPDES and, if found to be discharging water with a high pH, may be heavily fined. Mining operations and asphalt facilities encounter similar problems. Bad publicity may result when a company is found to be polluting local area water sources and may negatively affect the company's brand.
Fortunately, there is a solution for the concrete industry to prevent illegal discharge fines and environmental damage. Stay tuned for part 2 of this post, where we will introduce the pH Watchdog™ and how it can save your company big money.
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