Better Water Management – An Opportunity to Improve Sustainability and Reduce Cost

“The amount of water on the planet does not change, only its quality.” We recently installed this quote by American oceanography Walter Munk, in our training center. Although the quantity of water on the planet has remained constant, population growth, increased industrial demand, and climate change have all impacted its use – affecting the value and cost of water.

Water is used as a raw material, solvent, coolant, and energy source. Consumer demand has doubled since 1950 and is expected to double again by 2030. According to the Water Resources Group, “In just 15 years, the world will demand 40% more water than the available supply.” All consumer choices have an impact on water usage and consumers are more conscious of our water footprint and conservation efforts. It is important to change how we view, use, and manage this valuable resource.

Cost of Water for Industrial Facilities

Industrial facilities use large amounts of fresh water. It can impact a facility at several points during the production process. Some water costs facilities face:

1. Water itself. The cost of the water coming into the plant.
2. Preparing water for use. Depending on the incoming water quality, the water may need to go through several steps of preparation, including addressing the water for hardness, alkalinity, pH, and mineral content.
3. Preparing water for discharge. What is the plant’s effluent quality? Facilities face the cost of equipment and associated costs to treat wastewater with high levels of BOD, COD or suspended solids such as zinc, iron, lead or nickel.
4. Discharging process wastewater to publically owned treatment facilities. What are local discharge limits? If discharged water does not meet regulatory standards there is the cost to treat high-strength waste that exceeds the established limits.
5. Equipment maintenance. Facilities need to manage their water as effectively as possible to maximize the use of their equipment and increase its life span.
6. Consumerism. More and more consumers are looking to buy products from suppliers who are responsible and promote their brand as sustainable. If one is not perceived as a good steward of the environment, customer loyalty can be affected.

Smarter Water Management Controls Cost

There are ways to save and strategies to help reduce usage. By reducing water usage, facilities also achieve reduced energy cost, chemical cost savings, and other benefits. Ways to reduce, reuse and recycle:

• Facility water usage audit. Understand where water is being used to help identify where saving measures can be implemented. Use meters and sub-meters to track and record usage to establish a baseline, track anything out-of-range, and pinpoint where to make corrections.
• Use non-potable water when appropriate. Some industrial processes do not require potable water and water can be reclaimed or reused, such as condensate from air conditioners, reject from reverse osmosis systems, or cooling tower blowdown.
• Improve boiler operations. Work with a water treatment company to make sure all pre-treatment equipment is operating at peak performance so you can minimize water usage. By maintaining high-quality boiler feedwater you can run maximum cycles of concentration and reduce blowdown frequency. An automated system can also help regulate blowdown and maintain cycles of concentration at the optimal level. Reducing the amount of blowdown and fresh makeup water required can result in significant water and cost savings.
• Improve cooling tower operations. Work with a water treatment company to determine what is necessary to run at maximum cycles of concentration. This may include pH control or softening the water. An automated system to control your water management plan, also provides consistency and controls water usage.
• Install automated chemical feed systems. Real-time monitoring and 24/7 chemical feed control prevents over-feeding and improves consistency. This reduces not only chemical usage, but water and energy usage, as well. Having consistent quality can improve the longevity of your equipment.
• Provide ongoing operator training. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of a facility’s maintenance team to run their system. Having highly trained people to manage pre-treatment equipment, perform testing and respond to challenges efficiently and effectively, will be a company’s greatest asset. Watertech-U offers free ongoing training sessions on how equipment works, proper testing procedures, and industry best practices to ensure your team has the information and resources they need to do their job.

The cost of not addressing water scarcity is a reality we can’t ignore. If we all strive toward more sustainable usage and make small changes, we can achieve big results!