The Importance of Wastewater Recovery Systems

However, it is known that only 3% of the world's water reserves are freshwater, and 70% of this is found in glaciers, soil, the atmosphere, and underground waters, making it unusable. This situation clearly indicates that, due to the scarcity of usable water in conjunction with increasing population and industrialization, people will face water shortages in the near future.

According to research, the number of countries experiencing water shortages will rise to 54 by 2050, and the number of people forced to live under these conditions will reach 3.76 billion. This means that 40% of the world's population, expected to be 9.4 billion in 2050, will face water shortages.

In the #25Litre documentary published by National Geographic in April 2019, where we, as Artemis Treatment, provided solutions for the recovery of wastewater generated in the industry, the importance of water, our most important natural resource, and the striking realities we will encounter during the impending water scarcity process are discussed in detail.

Sustainable Environment Is Now a “Necessity”

Today, the industry, which plays a significant role in water consumption, shows an increasing need for water day by day. The amounts of water used in the industry vary depending on the sectors.

The treatment of wastewater generated from industrial production activities has become quite widespread in our country in recent years, under the regulations included in the EU accession process. Therefore, every business that produces wastewater is obliged to treat its wastewater and meet the required limit values as per the legislation. In addition, the issue of recovering the wastewater discharged from treatment facilities and reusing it in different parts of production has come to the forefront, both due to the potential water scarcity that may occur in the near future and the need to leave a sustainable environment for future generations by conserving our natural resources.

Is Wastewater Recovery Necessary in Industrial Facilities?

Although the treatment of wastewater may initially seem like a mandatory expense item for all industrial establishments, the treated waters are...

The recovery of water is emerging as a significant cost-saving item depending on the amount of water. The increasing amount of water used in industries is causing a serious rise in both the investment costs of treatment facilities and the operating costs.Today, industrialists have started to save on water costs by adding certain advanced treatment systems to existing treatment facilities and reusing the wastewater generated in their processes. In addition to the savings made, the water returned to the circular economy contributes to the conservation of our natural resources and sustainability.**What Should We Pay Attention to When Installing Wastewater Recovery Systems?**The most important issue for the installation of water/wastewater recovery facilities in industrial enterprises is to determine the needs through good planning. Nowadays, since this situation is overlooked, both wastewater and water recovery facilities have unfortunately remained idle.Making these facilities functional again becomes more costly. For this reason, pre-feasibility studies should be conducted before moving on to design work.Some points to consider in pre-feasibility studies:- Studies should be conducted to determine the total raw water quantity. - Studies should be conducted to determine the amount of (production) water to be recovered. - Raw water costs should be taken into account. - Depreciation periods should be prepared in detail and evaluated. - The planned daily operation periods of the facility should be determined. - Analysis studies should be conducted to determine the quality of raw water to be used in the system. - Analysis studies should be conducted to determine the quality of water to be recovered. - The place where the production water will be used (process water, washing water, cooling water, etc.) must be correctly identified. - The suitability of the area where the facility will be established should be evaluated. - After the feasibility studies to be conducted, it is possible to recover the water needed by the enterprise with the designed systems. Water/wastewater recoveryIn terms of recovery, we have implemented many applications as Artemis Arıtım in various corporate enterprises. In all our projects, we start with the planning mentioned above, follow up on the processes, and deliver the facility in operational condition, subsequently monitoring system efficiency at regular intervals.To summarize with a recent project we have completed, the sector is a tire factory in Aksaray that carries out production activities with smart technology. Our acquaintance with the enterprise occurred in line with the request to recover wastewater generated from production activities for reuse in cooling towers and some processes. Considering that the mentioned facility has a capacity of 500 m3/day, it holds significant value both for the enterprise and for sustainable environmental aspects.As a result of the feasibility study we conducted to determine the needs based on the requests, the processes of process design, manufacturing, procurement, assembly, and commissioning were carried out sequentially. The facility currently purifies and recovers 500 m3 of wastewater daily and reuses it in different parts of production.As a result of the efficient operation of the wastewater recovery system we established in the factory, the establishment of a facility for recovering larger volumes of wastewater in its other factory has come to the agenda. Our feasibility studies related to the process are ongoing.In summary, in the given examples, the volume of 500 – 1,000 m3 of water recovered daily, which is considered to be discharged as wastewater, highlights the risks we face and the scale of natural resource consumption. On the other hand, considering that this flow rate can rise to levels of 300 to 500 m3 on an hourly basis in different sectors, it seems that not consuming water resources and recovering them is the primary condition for companies to sustain their existence in the future. The magnitude of the added value provided by recovery, the average water consumption per person...According to the acceptance of 200 liters by our company, it is possible to measure that the amount of reclaimed water over a week is sufficient to meet the water needs of a settlement with an average population of 35,000 people. For this reason;As Artemis Treatment, we will continue to develop water and wastewater recovery projects at YTU Technopark in order to leave a sustainable environment for future generations and to produce economic solutions by disseminating these technologies.**Wastewater Recovery****Wastewater recovery** is one of the most important components of sustainable water management. The treatment and reuse of wastewater generated in industrial facilities, agricultural activities, and residential areas contribute to the conservation of water resources and taking precautions against water scarcity. Especially thanks to advanced treatment technologies, the water obtained from wastewater recovery can be safely utilized in various areas such as irrigation, industrial processes, and even drinking water production. This process supports environmental sustainability and provides economic advantages by reducing water costs for businesses.