Recirculating Process Water – Good Practices for Disposal of Industrial Process Water (1978)

Detailed Description

Within the manufacturing of dispersion adhesives, there is a particular risk of contaminating surface waters. Organic polymers and prepolymers, although not easy to biodegrade, can be removed using biological treatment plants with the excess sludge. Recirculating process water reduces the amount of wastewater to be treated and overall water use.

Instead of assuming that all processes require drinking quality water, investigate actual water quality needed for internal processes and reuse water within the business or between businesses whenever possible. For example, a polishing machine may require water with a certain particulate level. If a settling tank and greywater treatment was installed, the polishing machine could technically reuse its own water an infinite number of times. Possible treatment options for water recirculation include: waste stabilisation ponds, aerated ponds, trickling filters, vertical flow constructed wetland, hybrid constructed wetland, free surface constructed wetland and horizontal flow constructed wetland. Treatment options where biogas can be produced: anaerobic digestion, e.g. UASB reactors, biogas settlers or at large scale.

Advanced (more high-tech options): activated sludge, MBRs, advanced oxidation processes, ozonation, activated carbon.

Water Recirculation Possibilities:

• Reuse water for process washing
• Industrial fire protection
• In production line
• pH adjustment