Industrial water treatment plants help process raw sewage so it can be reused in various ways. The treatment of wastewater is an important part of industrial water management. Without it, industrial water sources would pollute the environment, and waste disposal would be extremely expensive.
In this article, we explore the four main reasons why industrial water treatment plants need to modernize, along with some solutions.
1/ Climate change
The global water and climate crisis is not a future problem. It’s here now, and it’s getting worse.
Industrial water users are experiencing a shortfall of fresh water supplies. Shortages of fresh water resources are a result of many factors, including growing population and demand. Yet the main driver is climate change, which leads to increasingly severe droughts.
Industrial sites are particularly exposed since many of them require large volumes of water to operate their facilities. Water is used in almost every aspect of industrial production, including cooling, heating, processing, and cleaning.
Industrial operations also have difficulty finding water in proximity to their operations, as many are located in regions with scarce water supplies.
2/ Environmental concerns
Pollution of lakes, rivers, and other water bodies has become a major environmental issue in recent years.
In many parts of the world, especially China and India, cities and industries are rapidly growing, placing added stress on water resources.
This has led to water pollution in these areas and also in other parts of the world, such as the United States.
Pollution of lakes and other waterways has received a lot of media attention. However, less attention has been paid to groundwater as a source of pollution.
Groundwater is often less visible, but it’s an even bigger problem. It’s easy to contaminate groundwater with pollutants because it’s invisible and takes a much longer time to break down.
3/ Regulations and requirements
As industrialization has grown alongside population, the demand for fresh water has increased.
This has led to new regulations and requirements for industrial water that have negatively affected older water treatment technologies.
Today, water withdrawal and effluents discharge limits are much stricter in many countries. Compliance is difficult for many industrial water treatment plants.
This can result in a water treatment failure that leaves a water supply that’s unsuitable for many industrial or commercial uses.
4/ Energy costs
Water is a significant and growing cost in many parts of the world.
In high-density areas such as major cities, water is in short supply. This has led to a price rise that could have serious effects on industry.
In a paper entitled “Dealing with the water crunch: taking a truly integrated water resource management approach,” researchers from Stockholm University, concluded that the rising cost of water could have a “devastating impact on the global industry.”
According to the report, the agriculture, food, and beverage industry makes up the largest portion of global water use. The report found that water use in this sector could fall by up to 40% in some areas due to rising water costs.
Bottom line: a modernization wave is coming
Limiting water withdrawals and effluents discharge is the name of the game.
Industrial water treatment is an important part of modern industrial water management.
It’s also an area where technology has advanced and opens new options for lower environmental impact treatment processes.
As most industrial water utility plants age, they will need to be upgraded and retrofitted with the latest technology and equipment.
Ensuring that these modernization projects are planned, executed, and commissioned without rework and at an accelerated pace is key.
Samp provides the solution to ensure that projects, operators, and contractors work with a shared version of the reality and keep it up to date from the field.
Together, they make an impact sooner.
Do you want to continue the conversation and take action? Get in touch with Samp!
