Industrial facilities require water treatment for various applications throughout the plants. When considering reverse osmosis (RO) or water purification plant setup costs, don’t forget to include the prices for preparing water for use throughout the plant. Purifying the water serves as the first step. However, it is not the only step or the sole contributor to an industrial RO system price.
Industrial water treatment encompasses everything a manufacturing facility does to incoming municipal water. Often, the water passes through a treatment plant on-site to remove minerals and other byproducts of local water treatment. This treatment may include filtration or purification through reverse osmosis.
Ultrafiltered water passes through an ultrafine filter to remove silt and even viruses. Water goes through this filter under low pressure before getting pressurized for reverse osmosis purification. Removing fine silt and other particles prepares the water for use in boilers and other processes.
Filtration does not remove as many contaminants from the water as purification does. Reverse osmosis forces water through filters to remove salts and dissolved solids more effectively than standard filtration. Water treated with reverse osmosis removes all minerals and extra chemicals to make it as pure as possible.
After purification, the water no longer has dissolved solids that could cause scale inside systems or interfere with chemicals added to the water. However, even after on-site purification, the water may still require chemical additives to prevent corrosion, kill bacteria or protect against freezing.
Another component of water treatment is monitoring for and treating potential pathogens in the water, such as Legionella in cooling towers. Some cities naturally have Legionella bacteria in the local water supply. However, sending the water through an on-site treatment plant may not sufficiently kill all bacteria or prevent future growth.
Managing bacterial growth in cooling towers and similar industrial structures can protect those at the facility. Therefore, another aspect of industrial water treatment involves testing for and treating potential bacterial growth.
On-site water treatments provide the greatest amount of control over the quality of the process water. Many production processes require water for operations, but municipal water supplies may not meet the requirements for these applications.
Only a few cases require the addition of reverse osmosis treatment for process water. For example, if a facility has poor water quality from its municipal supply, it may opt to pre-treat water before putting it through a boiler or cooling tower with reverse osmosis. Another instance in which reverse osmosis pre-treatment of water may help is when it can impact the overall longevity of a system.
Reverse osmosis augments water treatment systems for boilers, closed loop water treatment for various applications and cooling towers. Some manufacturing processes require purified water. However, the cooling and heating components of the facility also need purified water. For example, starting with purified water in a closed loop system ensures corrosion inhibitors can effectively do their jobs in the water. Minerals or chemicals in untreated water can interfere with this and other additives in closed loop water.
Many facilities have strict constraints on the purity of the water they use. Food and beverage manufacturers require purified process water, typically using reverse osmosis, to provide potable water for food or drink production. Pharmaceutical companies may also require purified water for medication manufacturing. Processes that do not use the water for human consumption or as part of manufacturing goods for human use may still require treated water.
Estimating the price of water treatment involves several aspects, such as:
While multiple aspects of water treatment create complexity for planning and budgeting for this component of a plant, all these parts are essential for operations. The only way to have an accurate estimate of the total cost is through a professional evaluation of your facility’s needs for both purifying water and treating it for individualized process applications around the plant.
While purifying water will allow it to move throughout the facility for use as process water, it likely will need additional treatment for specific applications to ensure that it performs as needed. Even the purest water can eventually pick up materials that lead to corrosion, bacteria growth or freezing. Therefore, chemical additions and the equipment used for maintaining clean water are essential components for cooling towers, boilers and closed loop systems. For instance, in closed loop systems, process water will need corrosion prevention agents added to the feed water.
Our chemical treatments and equipment ensure that the purified water has the characteristics needed to avoid harming the system. Maintaining a balance requires regular monitoring of the chemical levels. With proper monitoring, you can be assured that the chemicals added to the process water will successfully prevent corrosion and freezing.
When looking for water for a specific process, the cost will depend on the type of treatment. Possible components and chemicals for cooling towers could include:
Process water has multiple applications throughout manufacturing plants. While using purification plants can successfully treat water for use in food, beverage and pharmaceuticals, this may not suffice for other uses around a plant. Treating the water for use in closed loop chiller or heating systems, cooling towers and boilers provides additional protections these systems require.
Boilers heat water to provide steam used for multiple manufacturing processes. However, in heating water, minerals in the water can separate and create a layer of scale inside the boiler or its components. For boilers, scale and corrosion prevention are essential.
Water treatment for boilers starts with preventing scale deposits. Scale prevention saves your facility money in energy costs because higher levels of scale reduce the boiler’s ability to heat water. For instance, a firetube-type boiler with only 1/32-inch of scale inside wastes 2% of fuel, which could increase the operating cost each year by $72,000.
At Chardon Labs, we have a couple of options for scale prevention. One involves using various chemicals to offset the effects of dissolved solids in the boiler water. The second prevention method uses blowdown, which removes feedwater and replaces it with water with a lower level of solids.
Corrosion protection is another essential element of water treatment for industrial boilers. Pitting and general corrosion can both afflict the interior of boilers. If left unchecked, corrosion could create holes through the boiler and cause complete failure. Preventing corrosion starts with sulfite to absorb extra oxygen, though other chemicals are often added to assist in the task.
Treating boiler water also requires having the right equipment to add and disperse the chemicals. For example, some of the equipment we use for treating industrial boiler water includes the following:
The exact equipment needed affects the total cost of boiler water treatment for an industrial facility.
Closed loop system water treatment focuses on preventing microbial growth, corrosion and scale. As a closed system, facility managers may neglect the condition of the water in these systems. Often this comes from the false belief that if the same solution continuously loops through the system, it cannot become contaminated. However, closed loop systems can lose up to 10% of their water volume each year. This lost water requires replacement, which dilutes chemicals in the solution used for freeze or corrosion protection. Therefore, you still need to test your closed loop system water regularly.
When requesting water treatment for this system, you will find an array of ways that we prevent damage to the closed loop equipment. Depending on the water chemistry and your closed loop system’s location, you may need some of the following treatments:
These water treatments in closed loop systems optimize their ability to transfer heat throughout a manufacturing facility. Whether the unit operates chilled or hot will determine the chemicals and specific equipment used and the final pricing of this form of water treatment.
Cooling towers have the unique problem of exposing water to the outside. This puts the water at risk of taking on bacteria or algae. Additionally, as water evaporates from the cooling tower, it leaves minerals in the water behind, leading to scale buildup. As with all process water uses, starting with purified water for a cooling tower can mitigate some of the effects of scale and microbe growth. However, even clean water will develop contamination without proper treatment to prevent it.
Cooling tower water treatment includes microbial prevention, corrosion protection and scale prevention. Failing to maintain the water chemistry in cooling towers will cost your facility money due to higher energy and cleaning expenses. Starting with a well-planned cooling tower water treatment system will reduce operating costs over time.
Part of water treatment and management for industrial cooling towers may also include testing and treatment for bacteria such as Legionella. This potentially dangerous bacteria can thrive and spread to nearby people unless you take measures to control it.
As with other types of industrial water treatment, the cost of chemically preventing bacteria, scale and corrosion in cooling towers depends on the size of the towers, their volume and the exact types of prevention measures taken.
Legionella is a bacteria that occasionally produces severe illness or death. While the public often associates this bacteria with hot tubs, it also can grow in any large container of water kept at specific temperatures.
Warm, stagnant water with an acidic to neutral pH, sediments and algae create the ideal environment for Legionella to grow and thrive. In industrial sites, cooling towers are a prime target for bacterial growth. You should act before the bacteria has a chance to grow and sicken workers. Preventative measures include water treatment to make the water unsuitable for the bacteria.
At Chardon, we work with many types of facilities to identify areas of risk for Legionella growth. We use a five-step water management plan to control outbreaks caused by this bacteria. Stages include:
Because many different components of the facility’s water supply can harbor Legionella, the cost of this type of water treatment can vary widely. The number of locations treated, the volume of water needing treatment chemicals, the amount of chemicals and other measures impact how much you will pay for this form of water treatment and management.
Simply adding chemicals on your own to process water may not necessarily solve all problems with your systems. Therefore, you need a robust service like Chardon Labs that provides equipment, chemicals, testing and more.
Our team provided a complete solution for BrewDog’s North American brewing facility, which had issues with boiler carryover. Boiler carryover occurs from mineral deposits overheating the boiler, resulting in shutdowns. In manufacturing, any shutdown impacts production and profits.
Our team examined all aspects of the systems, noting that the water chemistry was correct. However, they also found the feedwater pump did not shut off, which constantly pumped water into the boiler, creating carryover. Eventually, they homed in on a faulty motor starter that prevented the on/off switch from operating. After replacing this, the boiler no longer experienced carryover and subsequent shutdowns.
By examining the entire system, not just the chemical balance, Chardon Labs found a solution to get BrewDog’s boiler running efficiently, letting them get back to brewing.
Another instance of the benefits of investing in clean systems instead of just chemicals comes from a hospital’s experience with its cooling tower chiller system. The building used five chiller units, each tied to its own cooling tower. During central Ohio’s extreme summer heat, the hospital’s five units could not keep up, operating inefficiently and making the building uncomfortable for patients and staff.
Chardon Labs’ team found two types of calcium-based scale buildup inside the chillers. The deposits prevented the chiller units from efficiently transferring heat, significantly dropping their effectiveness at cooling. Just finding scale was not the end of our team’s work. They next learned where it came from to find out how to stop it.
During their investigations, our group found that the wrong scale inhibitor in the chiller contributed to calcium phosphate buildup. Additionally, calcium carbonate buildup came from the chillers having their saturation index exceeded for too long. Plus, the approach temperatures for the chillers were not consistent.
After making chemical and temperature corrections to prevent future scale growth, the team used an acid-based cleaning agent to remove the scale from inside the chillers. Following successful cleaning and correction of the attributes that led to the scale buildup, the hospital’s chillers operate much more efficiently, providing enough cooling power from three units, even in the heat of summer. By investing in the right chiller water treatment, the facility saved on cooling costs.
Investing in a water treatment option that includes more than chemicals ensures that your facility works at its best by having cooling towers, boilers and closed loop systems that work as needed.
Water treatment for plant applications includes more than having a purification plant. Always consider the costs of water treatment for individual applications throughout a plant when calculating RO water purifier plant costs. Individual process water applications will also contribute to the total cost. The prices for treating water for each of these systems will vary depending on water volume, the number of sites and other factors.
For treating water in boilers, cooling towers, closed loop systems and other industrial uses, connect with Chardon Labs for the equipment, chemicals, setup and more to create and maintain clean systems. We’re a leader in the water treatment industry, so you can trust Chardon Labs to ensure your systems’ longevity.
