Wastewater Engineering Water-Use Reduction

An automotive manufacturer needed a wastewater solution to meet discharge permit requirements, reduce water usage, and improve water recycling capabilities. To meet the manufacturer’s water usage reduction program goals, we determined that the high metal ion content of three industrial wastewater streams could be treated with an ion exchange system. Our team customized the system to treat the water to a condition that could be recycled to the cooling tower and reverse osmosis system feed supply. Following the ion exchange treatment, the wastewater is diverted into a reuse water storage tank. This water is then recycled into the plant non-potable water system and used for cooling tower reuse. Mead & Hunt designed, installed, commissioned, and performed on-site training for the pretreatment filtration, ion exchange, and ultraviolet light (UV) system. This treatment system has been reducing the metal ion content to levels that meet discharge permit limits, and the ion exchange system has been recycling non-potable water that was previously being trucked off site.