Hydrocarbon Processing - October 2022 - 12

Water Management
loop system for water reuse or provide a legally dischargeable
effluent suitable for the sewer system. A new, fully customized
system is not always required. In many cases, it can be faster
and more cost-effective to add to or modify a facility's current
wastewater treatment systems when this is feasible.
However, because every wastewater stream for cooling towers
is unique to its industry and application, each wastewater treatment
solution must be suited to or specifically tailored to the
application. The first step in evaluating the potential cost savings
and effectiveness of a new system is to sample the wastewater
to determine its chemical make-up, followed by a full review of
local water authority requirements and production consultants.
The volume of cooling tower wastewater that will be treated
is also analyzed to determine if a batch unit or flow-through system
is required. Other considerations include the size restrictions,
so the system fits within the facility's available footprint.
Separating agents. Despite all the advances in automating
wastewater treatment equipment, any such system for cooling
towers requires effective separating agents that agglomerate
with the solids in the wastewater so the solids can be safely and
effectively separated out.
Due to the importance of separating agents for wastewater
treatment, Sabo Industrial uses a special type of bentonite clay
in a line of wastewater treatment chemicalsa
. This line of wastewater
treatment chemicals is formulated to break oil and water
emulsion, provide heavy metals removal, and promote flocculation,
agglomeration and suspended solids removal.
Bentonite has a large specific surface area with a net negative
charge that makes it a particularly effective adsorbent and
ion exchange for wastewater treatment applications to remove
organic pollutants, heavy metals, nutrients, etc. As such, bentonite
is essential to effectively encapsulate the materials. This
can usually be achieved in a one-step treatment, which lowers
process and disposal costs.
In contrast, polymer-based products do not encapsulate
the toxins, so systems that use that type of separating agent are
more prone to having waste products leach back out over time
or upon further agitation.
Today's automated systems, as well as the most-effective
separating agentsa can provide industrial facilities utilizing
cooling towers with an easy, cost-effective alternative so they
remain compliant with local ordinances. Although there is a
cost to these systems, they do not require much attention and
can easily be more economical than paying fines or hauling.
NOTES
a Cleartreat®
DEL WILLIAMS is a Technical Writer based in Torrance,
California, U.S. He writes about technology, health, business
and educational issues, and has an MA degree in English
from C.S.U. Dominguez Hills.
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Hydrocarbon Processing - October 2022

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