Water, one of the most important natural resources, essential for society and production processes, has always been treated with relative abundance in Brazil. Recent supply crises in Brazil and worldwide are leading society to understand that water management has become a global priority. Issues related to water risk, loss management, water reuse, and new technologies to mitigate these risks are increasingly common topics among companies seeking greater efficiency in their processes. In this article, we will focus on water reuse and how this practice can help your company manage this important resource more efficiently.
What is water reuse?
Although widely discussed today, the concept of reuse is quite old and stems from the very existence of the natural water cycle, which normally considers collection, use and disposal Water, however, has a natural circulation mechanism that makes it reusable several times and for various purposes. Based on this concept, we can define water reuse as the use of treated effluents for beneficial purposes, such as irrigation, industrial use and non-potable urban purposes. That is, before discarding the water, make the most of it, using efficient treatment techniques, so that the same water can be reused several times.
Reasons for water reuse
According to author Takashi Asano, the reasons for water reuse can be:
– Reduce pollution in waterways,
– Promote, in the long term, a reliable source of water supply,
– Managing water demand during dry periods.
In addition, we can add the list of benefits ranging from water savings to the containment of financial resources that the company may have with the implementation of these practices. Some industrial processes can reach water reuse capacity of 97%.
Where is water reuse most indicated?
From individual use to the highest level of business decision, reuse must be considered in all environments. At home, we can reuse water discarded by the washing machine in toilets, or even to wash the yard or sidewalks. In addition, many cities and buildings already use reused water to clean streets, areas and flush toilets. Even though it is a practice used in our daily lives, water reuse can be adopted in the most diverse types of companies, as long as there is a special assessment on a case-by-case basis for the implementation of this process. Check out some options for activities that consume a lot of water and can use reused water:
refrigeration
Boiler Feeding
process water
heavy construction
Irrigation of green areas
Floor and parts cleaning
Recycled water does not need to be used only in these mentioned processes, but also in any activity, as long as the characteristics of the water meet the quality requirements required for the application of the intended process.
What do I need to do before implementing reuse techniques?
Before implementing reuse, it is necessary to evaluate the potential of this practice for your company. This assessment will take into account:
Quality of water available for abstraction,
The effluent generated,
Intended applications.
From this information, it will be possible to make a material balance, being essential to have data on the quality and quantity of water captured, and the effluent released into the environment. It will then be possible to determine the volume of water lost and incorporated into the products and the amount of chemical substances added to the water during use.
What technologies are available for water reuse?
In the CEBDS study Efficiency in the Rational Use of Water we identify 14 water-saving technologies with a market potential of R$49 billion. These technologies could save up to R$191 billion in industrial water consumption and R$31 billion in agricultural water consumption. Among the technologies identified, six could be applied to water reuse:
sewage for aquaculture,
Evaporation by Vinasse Concentration,
Artificial Wetlands,
Ultra Filtration,
Reverse osmosis,
Thermal Distillation.
Get to know cases of companies that reuse in their processes:
braskem
The Aquapolo project was created in 2010 by Odebrecht Ambiental in partnership with SABESP (São Paulo State Basic Sanitation Company). It is the largest industrial reuse water production project in South America and the fifth largest in the world. Using cutting-edge wastewater treatment technology, the initiative includes a reuse water production plant, a pipeline, and an extensive distribution network. Approximately 65% of the water produced there, or 650 liters per second, is sent to the Petrochemical Complex in the ABC Paulista region. This is equivalent to supplying a city of 500,000 inhabitants. In São Paulo, the average reuse rate for the plants in ABC, Paulínia, and Cubatão is 87% – in ABC alone, this reuse rate reaches 97%. Between 2014 and 2016, Braskem reused 25 million m³ of reclaimed water with the Aquapolo Project, freeing up drinking water consumption in the ABC region of São Paulo in a volume equivalent to 10,000 Olympic swimming pools.
Nestlé
Nestlé has concentrated its efforts on the self-sufficiency of its factories. Through the reuse of water extracted from bovine milk, the company has been able to eliminate the intake of new water in the environment.
One example is the NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto coffee capsule factory in Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, which uses water from the neighboring Leite MOÇA industrial plant. Another example is the Palmeiras das Missões factory in Rio Grande do Sul, which also uses reclaimed water to cool towers, heat boilers, clean, aid in the cooling process, and meet other factory needs.
With the total or partial use of reuse water, 8 Nestlé factories stopped extracting 440 million liters of water from nature in the year!
Know more: http://bit.ly/2oPqdEO and http://bit.ly/2HeLq1B
References:
Mierzwa – Spanish, 2007 – Water In Industry – Rational Use and Reuse. (http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/3/3147/tde-14112002-203535/publico/TeseJCM.pdf)
ASANO, T. and LEVINE, AD Wastewater reuse: a valuable link in water resources management, WQI, nº4, 1995 pp.20-24.
