Water Treatment and Recycle Considerations in Existing
and New Building Design
Roland Lamoca, Zenon
New building development is pushing to the outskirts of major metropolitan
areas where land is cheaper, infrastructure may not have reached,
and often the environmental surroundings are more pristine. The
pressure on our global water supply is causing all new building
construction to consider pertinent technologies and design approaches
to reduce the demand on this precious resource.
Planning is the key to success. Stormwater, wastewater and process
waters can all be recycled and reused as long as the infrastructure
is considered and planned for in advance. Existing buildings can
be retrofitted to allow for new recycle and reuse technologies.
National objectives such as The Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED™) rating system are now being employed to assess
the success in implementing initiatives to reduce facility operating
costs, maximize water conservation and reuse, reduce energy consumption
and therefore costs and develop buildings that promote a environmentally
sound design.
Pilot testing at a Biotech company in the North East US is being
conducted. Pilot testing is intended to prove to the owner the feasibility
of the reuse potential from their wastewater for cooling tower and
plant processes. Plant and pilot objectives and results will be
reviewed.
Findings:
The best approach to a proper design and execution is to start
with a team; the owner, the Engineer, the contractor and the system
designer/fabricator. Opposing goals will cause projects to fail,
unless a team approach is taken from the start.
Planning for future development is difficult with fixed designed
systems. Modularity has been accepted well within the laboratory
industry to allow for expansion and flexibility. The same approach
should be taken when considering water treatment and water recycle.
A modular packaged plant approach affords short-term flexibility
and long-term growth protection.
Water is a critical part of the design phase of any project. Far
too often it is left to the last. Planning for water in the earlier
stages of project development will always ensure that all the needs
of the facility are taken care of.
Labs21 Connection:
Packaged Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) technologies effectively treat
sanitary and process wastewaters to meet most potable and non-potable
water quality objectives for reuse. Increasing recycle of water
reduces water consumption and reduces offsite discharge or disposal
of waste.
MBR systems reduce space requirements when compared to conventional
technologies. Space savings reduces facility construction costs
while improving production utilization possibilities. MBR technologies
also eliminate leach field allowing green space to be usable for
people or for future plant expansion.
Biography:
Not available at this time.
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