What is the average detention time for a 40,000 gpd flow going through a 1500-gallon interceptor?

To determine the average detention time for a particular flow rate through a given volume of an interceptor, you can use the formula for detention time, which is calculated as the volume of the interceptor divided by the flow rate.

In this case, the interceptor has a volume of 1500 gallons, and the flow rate is 40,000 gallons per day (gpd). To find the detention time in minutes, the flow rate needs to be converted from gallons per day to gallons per minute:

1. Convert 40,000 gpd to gallons per minute:

• There are 1440 minutes in a day (24 hours x 60 minutes).

• Flow rate in gallons per minute = 40,000 gallons / 1440 minutes ≈ 27.78 gpm.

2. Next, apply the detention time formula:

• Detention time (minutes) = Volume of interceptor (gallons) / Flow rate (gallons per minute).

• Detention time = 1500 gallons / 27.78 gpm ≈ 54 minutes.

Therefore, the average detention time for the 40,000 gpd flow going through the 1500-gallon interceptor is approximately 54 minutes, making