Reclamation & Recycling

With the scarcity of new natural water supplies and drier climates diminishing existing water sources, wastewater reclamation and reuse often emerge as the only viable “new” water source to meet the demands of a growing population. Water reclamation and reuse have taken on new importance for all kinds of clients, as the cost of raw water rises, discharge violations increase and scarcity concerns become more widespread. In many cases, squeezing every drop out of the water and waste process has gone from superfluous to essential.

A VARIETY OF USES

The use of treated wastewater has grown sharply in recent years, particularly in arid regions throughout the world. Nearly 50 million cubic meters of municipal wastewater are recycled daily worldwide. Recycling and reuse technologies make water more available, especially during droughts in some parts of the world, while reducing wastewater discharge into the environment. Recycled and treated wastewater has many uses, particularly non-domestic ones such as irrigation, industrial processes and the injection and storage of water into underground aquifers after additional treatment for indirect potable reuse.

COMMON TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES

The degree of treatment depends entirely on the desired quality of the recycled wastewater application. Wigen designs and builds a wide array of water treatment processes, providing the best technical solution for each specific need. Solutions include, media filtration, membranes (ultrafiltration-UF, nanofiltration-NF and reverse osmosis-RO), ion exchange and activated carbon.

APPLICATION EXAMPLES

• Municipal: By reclaiming wastewater and redirecting the high-quality, treated effluent for non-potable and potable applications, sustainable water sources can be developed to help meet growing population demands and overcome scarcity challenges. In many cases, the same water is treated to potable standards and injected into local aquifers or discharged to reservoirs to replenish supply. Wigen is a leader in the provision of membrane technologies for direct and indirect potable reuse applications.

• Hydrocarbons: Through reclaiming and treating wastewater from the production process, a self-sustaining water supply can be created that reduces or eliminates discharge into tailing ponds or deep well injection.

• Mining: By treating the water without discharging impurities created from the process, wastewater can be transformed into a source of fresh water, while also protecting the environment.

• Refining: Treatment technologies can be deployed to remove contaminants such as oils and metals from the operation, while redirecting the water into a less critical industrial process or safely discharging residual wastewater back into the environment.