94-08: Reuse of Industrial Waste Stream as Cooling Tower Makeup

Decreasing water supplies, increasing government regulations, and community awareness compel industry to consider water reuse. With their high water demand and relatively low water quality requirements, open recirculating cooling water systems are often consider ideal candidates for reusing industrial waste streams. However, contaminants in the waste streams frequently present new and significant challenges in corrosion control, scale control, and microbiological control. Overcoming these difficulties requires investigation of the various pretreatment options and internal treatment programs. The optimum combination can result in significant water and dollars savings while still providing excellent protection of the cooling water system. Recent practical applications of reuse of industrial waste streams as cooling tower make-up will be presented.