Regulations and wastewater
September 1st 2008

may not understand the wastewater issue and do not have a grasp of either relevant regulations or, indeed, of how to resolve the considerations that may arise.

Potentially, this could lead to serious financial and performance problems.

"The regulations cannot be ignored and increasingly need to be addressed by production and process management. One can cite the HSE guidance calling for the reduction in the risk for workers exposure to oil-mist and bacteria in water-based fluids, or the introduction of the REACH guidelines (Regulation, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals) as examples of increased legislative control. Just two 'for instances' in a scenario that is likely to become ever more complex," he adds.

The principle behind Aqua-Save Technologies provides an effective solution to the problems of disposing of waste water to drain. With typical average costs for wastewater liquid disposal averaging more than £100 per tonne, even medium volume disposal can, during the course of the year, add up to a significant production cost.

"Trade effluent does, of course, take many forms," continues Paul Jarratt, "and we have taken account of a wide range of these with the development of the Aqua- Save system.

Waste coolants, floor scrubbings, liquid process wastes, detergents and condensate water from compressed air installations are prime examples as are cooling water and wash waters from a range of manufacturing and processing operations. Place these alongside the increased pressure to comply with legislation and the costs associated with disposal are not likely to become more manageable in the future." When the cost of storage – often vital if the risk of ground contamination due to non-efficient or ineffective bunding is to be avoided – or of potential downtime, and even the possible direct effects on the local environment at a corporate level are all factored in – "then the entire question becomes one that the industry cannot ignore," adds Paul Jarratt.

The company believes that attaching a self-contained Aqua-Save unit to key waste water generation points in an industrial process can directly address this problem.

The system processes waste water by evaporation to produce clean water that typically represents 95% of the original volume, with only 5% as a concentrated waste for safe removal from site – significantly reducing disposal requirements and costs at the same time.

"The benefits do not end there, however," continues Paul Jarratt, "because the cleaned water is then available for applications elsewhere on site. In turn, this produces savings on water and energy bills which translate into a further cash benefit for the user." The company has developed a choice of Aqua-Save installations designed to match process water volumes. The Aqua-Save 30 for example which can produce up to 40 litres of cleaned water per hour is often located in a fixed position in a waste storage area to process larger tanks, IBC's or drums of wastewater.

Alternatively, the company's Aqua-Save Junior, which can produce up to 15 litres per hour and can be used on all aqueous wash systems, offers a compact design that is fully mobile, allowing it to be located where needed.

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