Harris Health Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital campus serves the Northeast Houston metropolitan area and is currently undergoing a major phased expansion that will significantly increase its capacity and medical services. Once complete, the new John M. O’Quinn Hospital will be positioned to become Harris County’s third Level I trauma center and the first outside the Texas Medical Center campus.
The new 1.3 million-square-foot hospital will feature 390 private patient rooms, 15 dedicated operating rooms, and a rooftop helipad for emergency medical helicopter operations. To help protect the environment and maintain compliance with stormwater discharge requirements, the helipad incorporates an NWPX Park HeliCepter® Fuel-Water Separator that provides pretreatment for contaminated runoff generated on the landing surface.
Fuel-Water Separation for Helipad Runoff
Installed beneath the heliport on the roof of the new 12-story hospital tower, the HeliCepter® Model HFS-1500 is a stainless steel fuel-water separator with a 1,500-gallon capacity. The unit is protected with a UV- and fuel-resistant epoxy exterior coating designed for long-term durability in exposed rooftop environments.
Runoff from the concrete helipad enters the system through a 6-inch inlet and flows through NWPX Park’s patented coalescing media pack. The media consists of a series of closely spaced plates with a specialized oleophilic coating that attracts hydrocarbons, allowing small oil and fuel droplets to combine into larger droplets. These larger droplets rise to the surface, where they are safely contained within the separator for later removal.
An integrated fuel skimmer enhances hydrocarbon capture, while a fuel stop valve provides an additional layer of environmental protection by preventing accumulated fuel from escaping during heavy rainfall or washdown events. Treated water exits the separator and is discharged into the facility’s stormwater system.
The system also includes a sample well for effluent testing and an intrinsically safe NEMA 4X high-level alarm panel that alerts maintenance personnel when the separator approaches its storage capacity.
Simplifying Installation on a High-Rise Hospital Project
Mechanical contractor Humphrey Company, Ltd. installed the HeliCepter® system during construction of the new hospital tower. Delivered as a complete, factory-assembled unit, the separator was crane-lifted into position, directly below the rooftop helipad.
Once installed, crews connected the separator to the helipad drainage system above, allowing stormwater runoff from helicopter operations and washdown activities to be routed through the treatment process before entering the building’s stormwater infrastructure.
By providing reliable separation and containment of fuel and oil contaminants, the HeliCepter® system helps protect downstream stormwater systems while supporting safe, uninterrupted heliport operations. The result is an added layer of environmental protection for the hospital, its patients, emergency responders, and medical personnel who rely on the facility’s critical trauma and air transport services.
