Onyx Runs Without Ponds, Recovers 95% of Water

Case Study

Onyx Runs Without Ponds: Recovers 95% of Water

Location Sterling, Massachusetts

Industry Aggregates: Sand & Gravel

The Challenge

At its Sterling Pit in central Massachusetts, Onyx Corporation faced three challenges: a regional shortage of natural sand, growing stockpiles of surplus stone, and strict permitting requirements on a limited footprint.

Producing coarse aggregate wasn’t the issue. The real challenge was consistently producing specification-grade sand within those constraints.

Equipment

Aggredry® Washer
Fusion® Platorm
Guardian® Screen
Radial Stacking Conveyors
TeleStacker® Conveyor
Valor® VSI

Wet processing plant at Onyx Corporation featuring screen, fine material washer, and conveyors producing specification sand from surplus aggregate

The Solution

Onyx set a clear objective, convert surplus 1½-inch minus material into high-spec sand. To do it, they partnered with Superior and its regional dealer EESSCO, Inc., bringing together plant design, equipment supply, and system integration under one coordinated approach.

Instead of modifying an existing circuit, the team engineered a fully integrated, closed-loop plant. A Valor VSI crusher creates properly shaped sand particles in a single pass, feeding a complete wash circuit with screening, classification, and dewatering.

EESSCO played a key role in coordinating equipment integration and ensuring the system worked as one continuous process. Water management was solved with a high-rate thickener and recirculation system, eliminating the need for settling ponds and enabling operation within the site’s tight footprint.

The Results

The finished plant is designed for 425 TPH but is already reaching up to 475 TPH after optimization. It recovers approximately 95% of process water, allowing Onyx to operate without settling ponds and meet strict environmental requirements.

The system allows Onyx to shift between washed products, increase sand production by re-crushing material, or run dry circuits during colder months. An underground water storage system also extends the operating season by maintaining stable water temperatures.

Most importantly, the operation has flipped its material balance. Surplus stone is no longer excess inventory, it is now the primary feed for high-value sand products. That shift has expanded Onyx’s customer base and improved control over both quality and supply.

Superior Cemco Valor® VSI crusher on elevated platform, shaping aggregate into specification sand within Onyx Corporation’s processing plant

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