Solutions For Sustainable Water Savings: A Guide To Water Efficiency
Solutions For Sustainable Water Savings: A Guide To Water Efficiency
Solutions For Sustainable Water Savings: A Guide To Water Efficiency
Solutions for
Sustainable
Water Savings
A Guide to Water Efficiency
Solutions for Sustainable
Water Savings
Table of Contents
The Water Efficiency Process........................................................................................................................................................................2
Step 1 – Baseline Water Footprint ..............................................................................................................................................................2
Step 2 – Identify Efficiency Opportunities ...............................................................................................................................................5
Step 3 – Prepare an Optimization Plan.....................................................................................................................................................7
Step 4 – Execute and Measure.....................................................................................................................................................................9
Summary.............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 10
Appendix A: Solutions for Reducing Water Footprint ..................................................................................................................... 11
Appendix B: Case Studies............................................................................................................................................................................. 14
1
The Water Efficiency Process
Because of a changing climate, reducing the applying a variety of tools and metrics. What gets
environmental footprint of industrial operations has measured gets managed. The following four step
become more important than ever. It is no longer process will guide you through the necessary steps in
sufficient to simply attain sufficient profitability delivering a reduction of water footprint and
while avoiding discharge of toxic wastes. measuring the associated financial impact.
Increasingly industry must change strategies to
become noticeably and substantially "greener", in
both the use of raw materials like water, and in the Baseline
Water
discharge of by-products heretofore considered Footprint
benign (such as carbon, heat, odor, sludge, and
mildly saline water). This is leading companies to be
more efficient in using resources, handling waste,
optimizing supply chain operations and producing
Execute Identify
more environmentally friendly products. As water & Efficiency
becomes more of a scarce resource, corporations are Celebrate Opportunities
developing sustainability policies based on an
effective water strategy. This strategy should
encompass the full spectrum of water and
wastewater treatments to uncover opportunities for Prepare an
cost savings, reduced downtime and improved Optimization
operations. This document provides a framework for Plan & Engage
site managers, corporate officers, engineering firms Stakeholders
and water saving advocates to develop a water
efficiency objective and meet this objective by Figure 1: The Water Efficiency Process
2
This "mass balance" ensures an accurate 100
understanding of the operation, and that no 700 600
significant flows are forgotten (see Figures 2 and 3). Cooling
Towers
In many cases, a particular component can be fed
from an on-site source as a way to recycle water.
Measured data can be retrieved from the following 100 50
950 Boilers 780
sources: 50
Pretreatment Wastewater
1. Flow meters
2. Utility bills 100 80
Processing
3. An engineering estimate based on previous 20
measurements
4. System specs 50 50
Other
5. Assistance from a water expert
Figure 2: Water Balance Elements
3
Capturing Water Related Total Unit
Cost ($/CCF)
Costs Unit Cost 1 CCF =
Activity ($/CCF) 748 gallons
In addition to capturing related flow capacities,
collecting all related costs will provide an economic City water purchase $1.55
base to the opportunities identified in Step 2. Sewer rate $1.78
Deionized using reverse osmosis
Direct Costs Equipment $0.37
• Water use – $/volume x volume per period Energy $0.97
(minute/day/year). Volume units are typically
gallons or m3 Labor $1.12
4
Step 2 – Identify Efficiency Opportunities
The water balance developed in the previous step Sources for Water Reuse and Recycling
allows us to uncover opportunities for water Source: “At the Crest of a Wave: A Proactive Approach to
efficiences and to develop a sustainability policy, or Corporate Water Strategy” – The Pacific Institute and the
expand an existing one, into the water space. Business for Social Responsibility
A water savings policy is a crucial part of a Cooling Towers – For many facilities, cooling
company’s sustainability policy and should be towers represent the single largest opportunity for
reported in the Corporate Sustainability Report greater water efficiency. Cooling towers should be
(CSR). It is an effective way to communicate investigated to determine how many times water
expectations with customers, employees, circulates before it is bled off and discharged.
shareholders and other stakeholders. Increasing the recycle rate of the tower results in
multiple savings, from water and sewer costs to
An effective way to identify opportunities is to savings on the purchase of chemicals used to treat
perform a water solution technologies review. For both incoming and discharged water. Typically,
this purpose, it is highly recommended to form a cooling towers consume a significant portion of
water savings team staffed by water, finance and total water. As a rule of thumb, an increase from 5
engineering/operation experts. to 8 cycles of concentration would reduce makeup
volume by 9%. Since you will need to increase
The following will help you find 10 to 20% inlet water chemical treatment, this will likely be close to
savings, achieve it quickly, and improve water revenue neutral. Now you need to calculate the
quality: effect on total inlet water.
Example: In a 1000 GPM plant, 600 GPM go to cooling
Rank Your Water Usage towers. An increase from 5.5 cycles of concentration
to 8 cycles result in a 9% makeup water savings,
Based on your water balance, rank the various which is a 5.4% of total influent volume.
components by water usage and focus on the
9% x 600 = 54
largest water users. Identify leakages and sources
for waste like excess cleaning and washing. 54/1000 = 5.4%
1.5 33% 44% 50% 53% 56% 58% 60% 61% 62% 63% 64%
2 17% 25% 30% 33% 38% 40% 42% 43% 44% 45%
2.5 10% 16% 20% 25% 28% 30% 31% 33% 34%
3 7% 11% 17% 20% 22% 24% 25% 26%
3.5 5% 11% 14% 17% 18% 20% 21%
4 6% 10% 13% 14% 16% 17%
5 4% 7% 9% 10% 11%
6 3% 5% 6% 7%
Figure 5: Water Savings Options for Cooling Towers
Source: Water Efficiency manual, North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources
5
Equipment Cooling – Replace single-pass cooling cooling tower, boiler makeup and reverse
systems, where water is circulated once through a osmosis feed water, or for drip-irrigation.
piece of equipment and then discharged to a sewer, • Rainwater harvesting: Rainwater is another
with a process or cooling loop. This loop provides excellent source of non-potable water and can
water at a pre-set temperature to cool equipment. be used in many of the applications in which
When a process loop is not possible, reusing single condensate recovery is used. Facilities in the
loop discharge water for irrigation or other non- U.S. considering the use of rainwater should
potable water requirements is another way to check with local or state governments about
increase water efficiency. possible restrictions. Some states allow facilities
Equipment Rinsing and Cleaning – There are many to detain water for irrigation and other uses
efficient rinsing options for facilities. Counter- that return water back to the system, but do not
current rinsing is typically the most water efficient allow water to be retained permanently on a
method for rinsing equipment. In this process, the site.
cleanest water is used only for the final or last Additional Savings Sources –
stages of a rinse operation; water for early rinsing
• Use domestic water efficiency techniques
tasks, when the quality of the water is not as
important, can be collected from water that is used • Ultra low flush toilets, urinal, faucet aerators,
during later stages in the process. Other forms of low flow showerheads, etc.
efficiency rinsing include batch processing, when • Reduce landscaping irrigation time schedules,
several pieces of equipment are cleaned at the repair leaks, install spray nozzles, install and/or
same time, using rinses from one process in replace automatic shut-off nozzles
another. Cleaning process equipment can be a
significant part of many food, beverage and
pharmaceutical companies’ manufacturing costs Engage Your Employees as a
and in some cases can account for as much as 50
to 70% of a facility’s total water use. As such, this
Source for Water Savings
presents a tremendous opportunity for water Ideas
savings.
• Survey your employee base by asking them to
Alternative Water Sources – Large facilities are identify sources of waste. Employee awareness
good candidates for alternative water sources due is a great way to uncover savings opportunities
to the fact that they typically use large amounts of and to engage them in an execution program.
non-potable water. Companies may be able to • Launch an employee awareness program.
update processes to allow for the use of saline and Provide them incentives and awards such as
wastewater instead of fresh water. This approach the most eco friendly employee award, for
reduces the impact on freshwater resources with being proactive in helping your company save
subsequent benefits to the local community and the water.
ecosystem. The two most useful “alternative” water
sources for facilities are air-conditioning • Communicate with them on weekly basis –
condensate recovery and rainwater harvesting. progress, regulation and success stories.
• Hold managers accountable for adopting ideas
• Condensate recovery: The condensate from air
and executing them.
conditioners, dehumidifiers, and refrigeration
units can provide facilities with a steady supply The output of this step is a master list of water
of relatively pure water for many processes. saving initiatives. Step 3 will build more rigor into
Because condensate water is relatively free of this list with estimated water and pollutant savings
minerals and other solids, it could be used for as well as associated financial impact.
6
Step 3 – Prepare an Optimization Plan
This step outlines all key factors that need to be B. Establish a budget and procure funding.
addressed in order to deliver a successful Outside funding and grants can be available.
execution: solution technologies, budget approval, a
timeline for implementation, a key stakeholders C. Develop a timeline for implementation and
analysis and an employee communication plan. schedule periodic reviews with the water
efficiency team to monitor progress. The
A. Identify process and product innovations and
following scheme will help you in prioritizing
estimate the total effect on water savings to
projects:
establish a goal. Key factors to be included in
this step are:
High
• Regulatory constrains and local water supply
Medium
expansion? Are there any environmental risks?
An extensive optimization plan includes a list of
water savings and wastewater quality related Priority III: Priority II:
projects. Each project should include the following Perform only if Low cost, limited value,
factors: necessary Also low hanging fruit
• A generic description
Low
7
Stakeholder Analysis for Change Support Levels
Support Level
SA MA N MS SD Supporting Support Levels are the team’s assessment of each
Key Stakeholders -2 -1 0 1 2 Observations stakeholder’s support of the proposed change, as
demonstrated by his or her words and actions. They
are “perceptions” and need to be validated through
dialog with the stakeholders.
SA = Strongly Against – Clear actions and words
that contradict the change.
MA = Moderately Against – Holding back resources
and support
N = Neutral – Neither supportive nor opposed to
the change, “Wait and See”
MS = Moderately Supportive – Sharing resources
as required
SS = Strongly Supportive – Fully engaged and
Figure 7: Stakeholder Analysis Framework
enlisting others
8
Step 4 – Execute and Measure
Reducing your water footprint not only improves
your operating performance and compliance, but it
Realizing Value
also creates value for your customers and Reducing water footprint has several layers of value
shareholders. This step focuses on measuring your recognition. When monitoring a water project’s
return on environment and recoginizing value. progress, it is recommended to capture the
achieved value in all categories:
Operating Environmental
Performance Performance
• Reduced consumption • Reduced waste Economic
• Improved availability • Make use of Green is green. In order to execute a water related
• Economical
maintenance
+ brackish water
• Enhanced public
project, the economic value has to outweigh the
• Improved throughput image cost of project. Using Steps 1-3 of the water
efficiency process will allow you to compare the
existing cost structure to a future state.
Metrics Risk Reduction
Environmental impact goals can be managed only
when they are measurable and quantifiable. Water Experts at the institute of Risk Management in the
footprint can be measured using a variety of metrics: UK define four broad categories for risk:
• Financial – Savings created from water projects
An Absolute Water Savings Volume and production expansion
Example: 10,000 gallons per day. This metric is the • Strategic – Getting ahead of the competition by
simplest and most intuitive but it does not include creating a more progressive sustainability
consideration for production expansion, as future policy and reporting it in the annual CSR report.
growth can result in an increased demand for water. • Operational – Optimized supply chain with high
efficiency
A Variable Metric of Water Used per • Hazard – Prevention of safety and compliance
Common Denominator issues
The most common denominators are unit
production and revenue. Examples include*: Environmental
Every gallon of water saved has a macro effect on
• Power - Gallons/KwHr
the environment by being used for other purposes
• Refineries – Gallons/barrel of crude oil like residential water supply or agriculture irrigation.
• Beverage – Gallons/liter of beverage For example: Lake Lanier in Georgia was recorded
• Auto – Gallons/vehicle on 11/29/2007 to have an inflow of 248.8MM GPD,
outflow of 827.2 MM GPD with a deficit of (578.4MM)
• Warehouse areas – Gallons/ft2 GPD. Every gallon saved translates into a reduction
*Calculations are normally done on average basis in the deficit and bringing the lake above its red line.
Revenue is often used in cases where a
manufacturing facility is producing many types of
Creating a Competitive Advantage
output products. Social responsibility enhances a company’s image.
Going beyond compliance and getting ahead of
Total Metric Tons of Wastewater regulation can reduce time and money. Recognition
comes in various forms. GE rewards its customers
Loadings with an ecomagination Award given to its
As per wastewater quality, most companies use customers for delivering positive economic and
their Corporate Sustainability Report to disclose ecologic impacts.
volume of loadings in the following categories: COD,
BOD, TSS and metals.
9
Summary
In conclusion, the four-step process is a structured “Environmental metrics show a company where it
framework to setting water footprint goals, stands. Data and indicators are critical to fact-
executing initiatives, monitoring progress and based decision-making and sound environmental
celebrating success. The theme that connects all management. They drive continuous improvement
four steps is the ability to measure the water and allow managers to mark progress against
footprint using metrics. In their book “Green to Gold: pollution control and resource productivity goals.”
How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy
to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive
Advantage”, Dan Esty and Andrew Winston state
the following:
10
Appendix A: Solutions for Reducing Water
Footprint
Cooling Tower Cycles of Capital Cost – $0 to $10,000
Operating Cost – $15,000/month
Concentration
Timelines for Implementation – Immediate (<2
Description – Increase cooling tower optimization months). A wastewater discharge permit change
by increasing the cycles of concentration and may be required as a result of an increase in
reducing blowdown stream flow capacities by material concentration, which may influence
applying chemicals programs. implementation scheduling. Additionally, Total
Process Being Fed – Cooling towers makeup water Dissolved Solids limits may also influence timelines.
Technologies Employed – Level of Difficulty in Execution – Very easy, the
quickest fix
• Chemistry
− Fifth generation polymer
− On-line polymer monitor Water Reuse
− Silica deposit control product Description – Use any water-consuming
− Third generation biofilm removal agent component on site as a potential source of water
for another component.
• Feed and Control – On-line polymer monitor for
fifth generation polymer The most common internal water sources are:
• Monitoring • Cooling tower blowdown water
Estimated Volume Saving – 0 to 40% of total inlet • Boiler blowdown water
water • RO reject streams
Capital Cost – $0 to $50,000 • Wastewater plant
Timelines for Implementation – Immediate (<2 • Process unit wastewater
months). A wastewater discharge permit change
may be required as a result of an increase in Power Industry
material concentration, which may influence • Ash pond discharge
implementation scheduling. Additionally, Total • Scrubber blowdown
Dissolved Solids limits may also influence timelines.
• Coal pile runoff
Level of Difficulty in Execution – Very easy, quick fix
Food Industry
11
• Membranes - Reverse osmosis, membrane bio
reactors, ZeeWeed UF membranes for industrial
Municipal Wastewater Reuse
water reuse Description – The concept behind this solution is
• Brine concentrator and evaporator for a zero using an alternative external source of water,
liquid discharge municipal wastewater, to be reused, solving
wastewater BOD issues. The cost of water will
• For food processors, Entrapped Air Floatation usually be lower using this solution. This kind of
and reverse osmosis/UF membrane for project will usually require high capital costs and
wastewater reuse, as well boiler cycles long term time lines which will generate high water
optimization using pretreatment before going savings.
into reverse osmosis.
Process Being Fed - Facility inlet water
Estimated Volume Saving – 0 to 10% of total inlet
water Technology Employed – Wastewater treatment
solutions, pumping and infrastructure
Capital Cost – $0 to $150,000, depending on
existing infrastructure – Piping, tank and pump Estimated Volume Saving – 0 to 100% of total inlet
water
Operating Cost –
Capital Cost – $1 to $10MM depending on existing
• $0 for generic and power industry water reuse infrastructure – Piping, pumping and inlet water
• $0 to $2 for food processing specific solutions treatment
described above
Operating Cost - 25 cents/ m3
• $250,000 in the case of using cooling tower
blowdown for scrubbers Timelines for Implementation – 2 years
Timelines for Implementation – Immediate (<2 Level of Difficulty in Execution – Difficult. This
months) if infrastructure exists, 2 to 6 months project will require government interaction, permits
otherwise. A wastewater discharge permit change and infrastructure laying work.
may be required as a result of an increase in
material concentration, which may influence
implementation scheduling. Additionally, Total External Industrial
Dissolved Solids limits may also influence timelines. Wastewater Reuse
The food processing specific solutions above are Description – The alternative external source used
longer term projects, one year on average. in this case is industrial wastewater from another
Level of Difficulty in Execution – Easy – moderate plant. The benefit of choosing this option is the low
cost of water and diminished dependency on
municipal sources. However, this solution does
Well Water RO Reject
creates a dependency on production and
Surface RO wastewater quality of the source plant.
Water Additional Permeate
Treatment? Process Being Fed - Facility inlet water
Municipal Boiler BD
Water Technology Employed – Wastewater treatment
Makeup ZLD solutions, pumping and infrastructure.
Internal Water Distillate
WW Reuse
Estimated Volume Saving – 0 to 100% of total inlet
MBR
Municipal Effluent water
Treated
Wastewater Capital Cost – $1 to $10MM depending on existing
Cooling towers can use many sources of lower quality water infrastructure – Piping, pumping and inlet water
with proper pretreatment design and chemical treatment treatment
12
Level of Difficulty in Execution – Difficult. This • Take a portion of plant effluent and add
project will require government interaction, permits standard UF and RO membranes to reduce TDS,
and infrastructure laying work. put treated effluent into a poly tank and pump
ahead of ion exchange system. You can
recover 65 to 70% of plant effluent as product
Additional Solutions that Can water.
be Utilized • Reduce wasted condensate. Remember, each
gallon of condensate saved represents a
• Many facilities use once-through water to cool
reduction in water intake of 1.25 gpm and a
small heat-generating equipment. Once-
reduction in waste plant loading, as well as heat
through cooling is a very wasteful practice
savings.
because water is used only a single time before
being sewered. Typical equipment that uses • Look for application of multi media filter Electro
once-through cooling includes: vacuum pumps, Dialysis Reversal (EDR) technology. Remember,
air compressors, condensers, hydraulic EDR can get 90% recovery of inlet flow, 95+%
equipment, rectifiers, degreasers, X-ray removal of ions, but does not remove any silica.
processors, welders, and sometimes even air • Is there a plan to collect rainwater, filter it, and
conditioners. Options for eliminating once- use it as tower makeup?
through cooling are typically very cost effective
• Is desalination of brackish water an option?
and are normally focused on reuse.
• A mobile exchange trailer can be a good option
• Any water used for landscape design and
for putting an RO ahead of a 2-bed
irrigation is always a good source for savings.
demineralizer, which will reduce demineralizer
• Installing cartridge filters on waste lines, waste from 20 to 24% to 2% and the RO reject
contaminated only with TSS and reusing the can be added to the cooling tower.
stream.
• Identify a low TDS stream going to waste, then
install a poly tank and pump with level control
to direct flow to the cooling tower.
13
Appendix B: Case Studies
• Canola
• Cinergy
• CMS Electric Company
• Ford
• Dupont
• The Earth Ranges Center
• Repsol YPF
• Unilever
14
Case Study
*Trademark of General Electric Company; may be registered in one or more countries. CH1067EN 0505
Case Study
Find a contact near you by Global Headquarters Americas Europe/Middle East/Africa Asia/Pacific
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Challenge Solution
Driven by a desire to protect India’s precious water Based on the study, it was decided to recycle the
supply and the environment, ST CMS Electric Com- ash pond water back to the cooling tower makeup
pany took a serious look at the millions of gallons of and the cooling water blowdown for ash handling.
cooling water blowdown it was conventionally dis- The water was recycled to the cooling towers, lead-
charging each year. The 250 Megawatt lignite-fired ing to huge savings in water and in the electricity
plant uses a lot of water for cooling purposes, and needed to run the plant. After 11 months of recycle
the blowdown water after reuse in ash disposal was operation, the condensers remain clean and well
sent to Nalla as clarified ash water. As India has fo- protected, thanks to GE’s superior cooling water
cused on maximizing its scarce water resources treatment program.
and protecting the environment and public health,
The cooling water system is an open recirculation
plants such as ST CMS’ in Tamilnadu could contrib-
type with a capacity of 26,400 m3/hr. The makeup
ute to the conservation.
water consumption for the cooling tower was at an
As part of environmental improvement in accor- average of 15,000 m3/d.
dance with CMS’ corporate policy, utilization of the
ST CMS taps bore well water to meet its entire cool-
ash pond water for cooling water makeup was initi-
ing and service water needs.
ated in the year 2004. “We were using 15,000 m3/d
of water,” said Mr Muthukumar, the Chief Chemist,
which compared favorably with the best of industry Results
norms. “However, we decided to explore possibili- The results have been very impressive. Water sav-
ties of further improvement.” ings are an amazing 482,166,460 US gallons, with
Representative K, Vijaykrishnan of GE Water & daily water savings of 5,000 m3. Total financial sav-
Process Technologies, who was involved in the pro- ings exceed US$26K annually and the plant now
ject, said that ST CMS was conducting a study for uses six bore well pumps, instead of eight, with a
reuse of ash pond water for cooling system makeup daily savings of 10,800 Rupees or US$251.
and GE joined the efforts with very positive and in- The plant has become a model for others in India to
novative ideas in the combined study of the project. follow, attracting attention from people interested
in replicating the recycle program.
“The recycling program perfectly met our needs and
expectations,” said Mr. N. Sundararajan, GM of the
ST CMS plant. “It has saved us money, protected our
scarce resources and proven to be very reliable.”
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Consequently, feed lines needed to be cleaned every KTP, a full-scale dosing system was put into operation.
three days. The two-hour cleaning process tied up two The process is automated with two metering pumps,
specially trained and certified wastewater treatment flexible tubing, and a remote control box.
operators, making them unavailable to perform jobs
elsewhere in the plant. Results
“This cleaning process was particularly onerous,” “Everything performed as planned. There were no
according to Mark J. Weinzapfel, Plant Design Engineer. surprises,” says Gilbert Bridges, WWTP Operator.
“It was beginning to create morale problems in “Instead of cleaning the lines every three days, we now
the plant.” do it only every three-months. And we no longer have to
perform the cumbersome task of transferring products in
Another problem was the need to dilute the antifoam 5 gallon buckets.”
agent prior to application, a labor intensive process that Ford calculates that 242 hours of labor are now saved
also consumed a large volume of water. One quart of each year from the reduced cleaning requirements,
concentrated solution was combined with 120 quarts of alone. This equates to more than $10,800 in savings,
water in mixing tanks, six times per day. Each time,
without factoring in the additional labor savings from not
operators needed to fill and carry five gallon buckets of
having to dilute the antifoaming agent.
the antifoaming concentrate from the storage area to
the location of the mixing tanks. Moreover, by no longer diluting the antifoam agent, KTP
is reducing its water consumption and sewer disposal by
Solutions 230,400 gallons per year. This figure does not include
Weinzapfel tasked GE Infrastructure Water & Process the water saved by the reduced flushing and cleaning
Technologies and the WWTP operators to find a solution. requirements.
After a thorough review of the GE product line and utiliz-
Weinzapfel says, “The new system is highly dependable
ing the WWTP operators knowledge of the equipment
and easy to use. There are none of the headaches that
and treatment process, it was decided that the plant
were involved with the old dilution system. We are
would attempt to convert to Antifoam Feed Conversion
pleased with the environmental benefit of less water us-
AF1440, a formulation that can be applied neat (without
age and the clear cost savings to Ford. We are also
dilution).
happy to have freed up WWTP operators from some
After a two-month pilot test demonstrated that the unpleasant and unproductive tasks, allowing them to
AF1440 solution effectively defoamed the discharge at focus more on preventative maintenance tasks.”
*Trademark of General Electric Company; may be registered in one or more countries. CH1070EN 0505
Case Study
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Plant Overview
Among the many innovative technologies that
make the Centre a model of sustainable design, the
Earth Rangers Centre features on-site wastewater
treatment and reuse. Earth Rangers selected a
ZeeWeed* membrane bioreactor (MBR), to treat all
the sewage generated at the facility in a compact,
odor-free, in-house system. Sanitary wastewater is
treated onsite to near drinking water quality using
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Process Overview
Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment
The 2,900-gpd system will process the entire
wastewater load from the facility and is concealed
in the Centre’s basement. Wastewater is pumped
from the sewage collection equalization tank. The Typical Treated Water Results
equalized flow is then sent through trash grinder BOD (mg/L) <2
pumps and is then pumped to the bioreactor where
bacteria consume or digest the biodegradable TP (mg/L) < 0.05
waste before it enters the membrane chamber con- BOD (mg/L) <2
taining immersed ZeeWeed membranes.
Water is gently drawn through billions of micro-
scopic pores on the surface of the membrane fiber
via a permeate pump. The pores act as a filter that
physically block suspended solids, bacteria and vi-
ruses from passing through, producing an excep-
tional water quality that is completely suitable for
non-potable applications.
The treated water then flows through an activated
carbon filter, and ultraviolet units for further disin-
fection. The sanitized, finished water flows to the
water storage tank for use within the facility.
Challenge
Repsol YPF is an integrated international oil and gas
company, operating in 30 countries. It is involved in
oil and gas downstream and upstream operations,
as well as chemical processing and gas and power
distribution. It is also one of the ten major private
oil companies in the world, the largest private en-
ergy company in Latin America in terms of assets,
and the leading company in Spain and Argentina.
La Plata Refinery, a processing plant extending
along 340 hectares in the interlock among La Plata,
Berisso and Ensenada districts in the province of Therefore, the management of La Plata Refinery
Buenos Aires, is the greatest crude oil processing decided to invite GE Water & Process Technologies
plant in the country – amounting to 30,000 m3/day, to design a short-term action plan which would
i.e. 30% of Argentina’s total refining market. prevent liquid effluent discharge from exceeding
discharge parameters to the river. Longer term, the
Given its capacity for crude diversity processing
plan would need to solve any other problems
throughout Argentina, Refinería La Plata is devoted
arising from effluents with these characteristics.
to refining processes aimed at producing a wide
array of products – gasoline, gasoil and aviation
fuel for transportation purposes, lube oil, paraffins, Solution
petroleum coal, petrochemical gasoline, petro- GE Water & Process Technologies implemented a
chemical polypropylene, liquefied petroleum gas three tiered plan which included:
(LPG) and, asphalts. 1. Creation of a joint team composed of energy,
By mid 2005, Repsol YPF’s La Plata Refinery faced a processes, laboratory and environmental
critical situation. Several challenges regarding its experts from Repsol YPF, local experts and GE
liquid effluents and the absence of a control action international experts.
plan were increasing costs and, were inconsistent 2. Evaluation – Survey of facilities and operational
with current regulations. conditions, recovery of analytical historical
information and special analysis of water
samples performed by GE Water & Process
Technologies’ Global Centre for Investigation
and Development Excellence at The Woodlands,
Texas, USA.
Find a contact near you by Global Headquarters Americas Europe/Middle East/Africa Asia/Pacific
visiting gewater.com or Trevose, PA Watertown, MA Heverlee, Belgium Shanghai, China
e-mailing custhelp@ge.com. +1-215-355-3300 +1-617-926-2500 +32-16-40-20-00 +86 (0) 411-8366-6489
Find a contact near you by Global Headquarters Americas Europe/Middle East/Africa Asia/Pacific
visiting gewater.com or Trevose, PA Watertown, MA Heverlee, Belgium Shanghai, China
e-mailing custhelp@ge.com. +1-215-355-3300 +1-617-926-2500 +32-16-40-20-00 +86 (0) 411-8366-6489
Europe/Middle East/Africa
Heverlee, Belgium
T + 32-16-40-20-00
F + 32-16-40-00-87
Asia/Pacific
Shanghai, China
T + 86 (0) 411 8366 6489
F + 86 (0) 411 8366 6894