Welcome to the November/December edition of Industrial WaterWorld. Our feature this month explores the topic of water stewardship in the pulp and paper industry, one of the most water-intensive industrial sectors. Meaningful advances in water conservation have been made in this industry over the last decade, prompted by rising global water scarcity concerns and greater recognition of water-related business risks. As Jeff Gunderson explains on page 10, pulp and paper operations are inextricably linked to water in many ways, and in an era of greater water awareness, the way big water users approach their water management and address water-related risks carries more significance than ever before. Here, he highlights tools as well as successful use-case examples of water stewardship in action in pulp and paper.
When it comes to cooling systems, primary cooling is well recognized as critical to operations in heavy industries like power generation. But, as Brad Buecker suggests on page 14, equally vital auxiliary closed cooling water systems are often overlooked. Failure of these systems, however, has the potential to shut down a portion, if not all, of a plant. Here, Buecker examines important closed cooling water treatment issues, including water quality, piping materials, and corrosion concerns.
Microbial control technologies provide a central solution to ensuring a clean, safe water supply, as they help keep clean the storage tanks, pipes and filters through which the water flows. However, many of the substances used for microbial control purposes are regarded as hazardous, which is understandable given the fact that they are intended to control a wide variety of harmful or unwanted organisms. In the article on page 17, the Microbial Control Executive Council (MCEC), an organization dedicated to ensuring the safe use of microbial control technologies, discusses its objectives and the work being done to guide and educate users of antimicrobials.
Industrial and commercial enterprises are concerned about water not only used within their operations but also running off their properties. Stormwater management is an increasingly important consideration and on page 19, Steve Cooper shares a success story focused on a world-class soccer stadium where two underground systems drain and store stormwater, slowing it down so that it can infiltrate back into the ground without overwhelming the municipal sewer system or flooding the field. The underground pipe network also serves another purpose: to cool or air-dry the natural grass field above.
Industrial entities that fail to recognize potential water supply risks can be left vulnerable to production and/or revenue losses should an unexpected reduction to water resources occur. In the article on page 31, Frank Getchell discusses how engineering and design firm WSP collaborates with, and provides assistance to, industrial clients, identifying appropriate groundwater resources and well designs applicable to the water-supply demands of a facility. Two case examples are presented.
Remember to check out our New Products section starting on page 24 for a compilation of the latest water- and wastewater-related products to hit the industrial market.
We hope you enjoy this edition of Industrial WaterWorld. Thanks for reading!
