Expanda-Seal Conservation Vent Eliminates EPA Emissions Violations at Northern California Water Treatment Plant

Results

Eliminated EPA emissions violations by replacing leaking competitor pressure and vacuum vents with Expanda-Seal conservation vents.
Met local emission standards with no greater than 0.5 SCFH air at 95% of the set pressure — verified through official EPA inspection.
Saved the facility tens of thousands of dollars in potential EPA fines.
Successfully qualified through a single-unit pilot installation before full fleet replacement of all 8 ozone contactors.
Delivered a proven drop-in solution in 8″ 316 stainless steel to match existing infrastructure.

Challenge

Ozone contactors at the facility require pressure and vacuum conservation vents to safely manage gas pressure during normal operation. The facility had installed competitor vents that were found to be leaking above locally mandated emission thresholds — even after replacement internals were provided.

The EPA notified the facility that continued non-compliance would result in significant financial penalties. With eight 8″ 316 stainless steel vents across the ozone contactor systems, the facility needed a reliable, code-compliant solution that would hold up under operational conditions and satisfy regulatory scrutiny.

Key concerns included:

Fugitive emissions exceeding local EPA standards during normal operation
Repeated failure of competitor units to achieve compliant sealing performance
Regulatory pressure and the threat of substantial ongoing fines
Need for verified, inspectable compliance across eight critical vent points

Solution

The facility contacted Shand & Jurs to determine whether a compliant solution was available. We recommended our Model 94020 Conservation Vent equipped with Expanda-Seal pressure sealing technology — a design engineered to achieve no greater than 0.5 SCFH air leakage at 95% of the set pressure, far exceeding standard sealing performance.

To validate performance before committing to a full replacement program, the facility purchased a single unit to replace one of the existing vents. The unit was manufactured in 8″ 316 stainless steel to match the existing installation and delivered within 8 weeks.

Following installation, the facility monitored the unit for three months and then requested an official EPA inspection. The Expanda-Seal vent met all local emission requirements — confirmed by the regulator. With compliance demonstrated, the facility immediately issued a purchase order for the remaining 7 units.

This structured qualification approach — pilot installation, independent verification, full rollout — gave the facility and the regulator confidence in the solution and provided a clear, documented path to system-wide compliance.

Case Study