A year after a Hanford site facility returned to service following six years of repairs and upgrades, it has added hundreds of thousands of gallons of space in underground tanks, just by evaporating water in the hazardous waste they contain. 

Crews working in the 242-A Evaporator facility recently completed a waste-reduction campaign focused on condensing the site’s waste. That work supports contractor Hanford Tank Waste Operations & Closure, or H2C, in conducting waste transfers from older underground tanks to newer, double-shell tanks aimed at reducing risk to the community and environment. 

The evaporator removed 353,000 gallons of water by boiling radioactive and chemical waste at low pressure. The resulting slurry is returned to a tank for future treatment while the extracted water is filtered and sent to Hanford’s Effluent Treatment Facility for additional processing and disposal. 

“Everyone came together with focus and commitment, which allowed us to achieve a successful campaign,” said Brandon McFerran, H2C’s production operations manager. “The team’s collaboration and dedication made it all possible.