Edit Article

How to Decide Whether Water Reuse Is Appropriate for Your Industrial Facility

Two Parts:Why does it matter?Deciding the feasibility of reducing waterCommunity Q&A

The fresh water supply that is available to us for purification is less than 0.008%. That is because of all the water on Earth, 97% of it is salt water. The remaining fresh water is accounted for in soil moisture and is frozen in glaciers or ice. With the population growing and industry increasing to keep up with those demands, more and more water is consumed, leaving some short. Reusing the water we have is logical solution to sharing this limited supply of water. But how do you know if water reuse is feasible for your facility?

Part 1
Why does it matter?

  1. 1
    Understand why it's important to reduce water usage in your industrial facility. This can help you to build a business case, especially where you're the sustainability officer and you need to justify making changes to current practices, so as to save water. Here are some really good reasons as to why it's worth reducing water:
    • The facility will have reduced water costs: A facility can spend tens of thousands of dollars on water purchases and sanitary sewer discharge or other wastewater disposal costs such as hauling the water away on trucks. If permits are exceeded or violated, the facility can incur surcharges. Additionally, water rates can fluctuate, and as this resource becomes more scarce, the rates will likely increase.
    • It may reduce permit liabilities, where relevant: A facility is limited by the contaminants that can be in their wastewater when it is discharged and by the volume of water that is discharged to the sewer. This is because the public treatment facility (POTW) is responsible for treating the water at that point. The discharge permits come with a liability for the facility. If the limits are exceeded and the drinking water supply or local ecosystem is contaminated, the repercussions fall to the permit holder.
    • It's a sustainable thing to do: A facility within a region where drought is a risk or where water is strictly regulated will benefit from an uninterrupted water supply during dry times.
    • It will improve existing processes: The quality of recycled water is often of higher quality than the city water that the facility uses in the manufacturing process, for utilities, cooling/heating waters, etc. The higher quality water can actually improve the performance of equipment, extending their life and reducing downtime from maintenance activities on those items.
    • It will present a positive environmental image to consumers: A facility that recycles its wastewater isn’t just saving money, it is being socially responsible. These activities can and should be part of public relations messaging and marketing materials. Consumers appreciate a company who cares about the environment and are more likely to purchase goods made in those plants.
  2. 2
    Use the above incentives to explore water reuse within your industrial facility. They are great for convincing your boss and team that it's at least worth looking into.

Part 2
Deciding the feasibility of reducing water

  1. 1
    Determine your current water usage rates. Are the industrial processes in your industrial facility using a significant amount of water? If so, it's probable that implementing water saving measures will reduce current water usage rates.
  2. 2
    Determine the costs associated with the water you use. Is the water or wastewater expensive? This is probably the biggest incentive to reduce water reuse, especially if the solutions are not too costly or pay for themselves within a short period.
    • Evaluate your current operational costs. Are they prohibitive? What part of these costs relate to water usage?
  3. 3
    Look at the physical space in and outside the facility. Is there space to support a water reuse program? You may need to add new infrastructure or make changes to existing infrastructure, so be sure to do the research first, before getting too excited about the possibility.
  4. 4
    Think about your plant's usual activity. Is there a demand for the recycled water somewhere else in the plant? If this is the case, it makes good sense to begin redistributing used water to be used elsewhere in the same plant.
  5. 5
    Consider the available water-reduction technology in relation to your facility's technology. There must be a match between the two, otherwise there is little point exploring any further until the appropriate technology is either in place or affordable.
  6. 6
    Talk to your boss and team about the possibilities. Don’t forget to revisit the incentives list during your conversations. But most of all, listen to their responses and ideas and encourage some brainstorming. Each person has a different perspective on how the plant operates effectively and may see the potential for water savings where you haven't yet considered them.

Community Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left


  • You may also want to research some water reuse technologies to find a footprint and some ballpark costs that you can factor in to these discussions.
  • Some of those benefits are difficult to attach to a dollar amount, but it is very likely that you will find additional savings and see the ROI from reusing your wastewater.

Article Info

Categories: Business

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 310 times.

Did this article help you?