- Email: [email protected]
Membranes treat coloured water
Membranes treat coloured water T h i s b r i e f a r t i c l e comprises two case studies which show how membranes are being used in the UK to tackle water treatment. The first illustrates how a
reverse-osmosis plant is helping a Leicester-based dye-house to solve its effluent treatment problems, while the second provides details of nanofiltration technology which is being used in two locations in Scotland to treat c o l o u r e d surface-water. Installation of a PCI-Memtech reverse osmosis filtration unit at T. Forsell & Sons Ltd has proved extremely profitable for the dye-house, which is based in Leicester, UK. The RO unit recycles 95% of the process rinse-water, solving the effluent-treatment problems. The unit was installed about two years ago, and since then the company says that it has reduced its water costs by 75%, saving between £90 000 and £100 000 a year. It also claims that considerable energy savings have also been made. Forsell spins and dyes worsted yarns for sweaters for the Ministry of Defence, for many UK fashion outiets and for export. The company was concerned that it needed to reduce water consumption and effluent discharge volumes. At the same time, the UK's Environment Agency had imposed colour consent limits on the factory, which meant that the cost to the local water company of treating the effluent discharged would rise significantl): Consequently, the dye-house decided to invest in its own effluent treatment plant.
Confidence The confidence placed in PCI-Memtech's RO membrane filtration plant has been fully justified, says the dyer. Not only is the effluent now treated to within all consent limits, but about 95% of the water from the dye-house is also recycled. The unit removes both colour and chromium from the effluent, so that the resultant discharge from the RO unit can be reused in dyeing and rinse--water operations. The town mains water is only used for the boilers and for domestic purposes.
Plant performance Working with PCI-Memtech engineers, the company has improved plant performance. The unit has been optimized to run at 50°C rather than 60°C, which is specified in the original design. This has reduced energy"costs further.
(~)
The unit processes 20 m3fh and no longer draws mains cooling water to reduce the operating temperature to 40°C, which is needed in the dyehouse. The company says that it has noticed a huge difference in its water bills. Previously, at its busiest times, the bills could be as much as £4000 (US$5700) per month, now they have fallen to just £1000 ($1430) per month. At the same time, the cost of effluent disposal - - which was running at £4000 per month - - has fallen to about £1500 ($2140) per month.
Scottish contracts The North of Scotland Water Authority (NoSW'A) has recently granted two contracts to the Leopold-'Ihlloch Consortium, comprising PCI-'Water (formerly PCI-Leopold) and Tulloch Civil Engineering Ltd. The contracts, which were won by the consortium on a competitive-tender basis, were for spiral nanofiltration plants at two locations - - Kyle of Lochalsh and Onich in the Highland Region, The NoSWA agreements, although tendered for separately, were ordered together to take advantage of a saving scheme offered by the consortium.
Archaeological sites The forest area at Achnandarach, where the first membrane plant for the Kyle of Lochalsh is being built, contains archaeological sites which require protection. To prevent damage, site engineers cordoned off a stone circle in the middle of the site, while the plant was being constructed. The £1.5 million ($2.1 million) plant, which uses the a spiral-membrane design, is one of the largest plants of its type to be built by PCIWater. ~}eating 1420 m 3 of coloured surfacewater per day; it supplies a population of around 3500 in the Kyle of LochalshtShiel Bridge area.
Seileach, near Fort William. This is the third phase of the construction programme at Onich, which processes 420 m 3 of water per day, supplying a population of around 1000. The £1 million ($1.4 million) plant will augment the nearby Ballachulich water-supply system, and again uses the PCI spiral-membrane design to remove colour from the upland source-waters prior to consumption. According ~o PCl-Water, operational costs are cut dramatically using this spiral design, compared with conventional municipal spiral designs, with no increase in capital costs.
Client support Both turnkey contracts meet the full mechanical and electrical requirements of the NoSWA, which means that no additional client support is required in this area. At both sites, the consortium has built new access roads, and the site at Kyle of Lochalsh has gained a new bridge. Both site contracts included a treatmentplant building, although they are not the same. At the Onich site, it is a steel-framed, concrete panel-clad structure with a steel roof, while the building at Kyle of Lochalsh uses a steel frame, and a steel-dad construction. Reservoirs of 2000 m 3 and 1000 m 3 were also built at the Kyle of Lochalsh and Onich sites, respectively, using reinforced concrete.
Wider scope These contracts were both completed within 49 weeks, and are among the first to be awarded to the consortium. PCI-Water says that previously it had not collaborated in this way with another company, but it does so now with the full approval of its parent company; Thames Water. Working as the lead partner in the consortium, it can now widen ~he scope of its operations, allowing it to bid for, and project-manage, much larger contracts.
For more information, contact: PCI-Water,
LaverstokeMill, Whitchurch, HampshireR628 7NR, UK. Tel: +44 1256 896966, Fax:+44 1256 893835.
Second plant
Or contact: PCI-Memtech,LionWay, Morriston,
The consortium is also installing a second plant at the Onich water treatment works at Gleann
SwanseaSA7 9FB,UK.TeI:+44 1792 310454, Fax:+44 1792 310331.
i
i Membrane TechnologyNo. 135
reverse-osmosis plant is helping a Leicester-based dye-house to solve its effluent treatment problems, while the second provides details of nanofiltration technology which is being used in two locations in Scotland to treat c o l o u r e d surface-water. Installation of a PCI-Memtech reverse osmosis filtration unit at T. Forsell & Sons Ltd has proved extremely profitable for the dye-house, which is based in Leicester, UK. The RO unit recycles 95% of the process rinse-water, solving the effluent-treatment problems. The unit was installed about two years ago, and since then the company says that it has reduced its water costs by 75%, saving between £90 000 and £100 000 a year. It also claims that considerable energy savings have also been made. Forsell spins and dyes worsted yarns for sweaters for the Ministry of Defence, for many UK fashion outiets and for export. The company was concerned that it needed to reduce water consumption and effluent discharge volumes. At the same time, the UK's Environment Agency had imposed colour consent limits on the factory, which meant that the cost to the local water company of treating the effluent discharged would rise significantl): Consequently, the dye-house decided to invest in its own effluent treatment plant.
Confidence The confidence placed in PCI-Memtech's RO membrane filtration plant has been fully justified, says the dyer. Not only is the effluent now treated to within all consent limits, but about 95% of the water from the dye-house is also recycled. The unit removes both colour and chromium from the effluent, so that the resultant discharge from the RO unit can be reused in dyeing and rinse--water operations. The town mains water is only used for the boilers and for domestic purposes.
Plant performance Working with PCI-Memtech engineers, the company has improved plant performance. The unit has been optimized to run at 50°C rather than 60°C, which is specified in the original design. This has reduced energy"costs further.
(~)
The unit processes 20 m3fh and no longer draws mains cooling water to reduce the operating temperature to 40°C, which is needed in the dyehouse. The company says that it has noticed a huge difference in its water bills. Previously, at its busiest times, the bills could be as much as £4000 (US$5700) per month, now they have fallen to just £1000 ($1430) per month. At the same time, the cost of effluent disposal - - which was running at £4000 per month - - has fallen to about £1500 ($2140) per month.
Scottish contracts The North of Scotland Water Authority (NoSW'A) has recently granted two contracts to the Leopold-'Ihlloch Consortium, comprising PCI-'Water (formerly PCI-Leopold) and Tulloch Civil Engineering Ltd. The contracts, which were won by the consortium on a competitive-tender basis, were for spiral nanofiltration plants at two locations - - Kyle of Lochalsh and Onich in the Highland Region, The NoSWA agreements, although tendered for separately, were ordered together to take advantage of a saving scheme offered by the consortium.
Archaeological sites The forest area at Achnandarach, where the first membrane plant for the Kyle of Lochalsh is being built, contains archaeological sites which require protection. To prevent damage, site engineers cordoned off a stone circle in the middle of the site, while the plant was being constructed. The £1.5 million ($2.1 million) plant, which uses the a spiral-membrane design, is one of the largest plants of its type to be built by PCIWater. ~}eating 1420 m 3 of coloured surfacewater per day; it supplies a population of around 3500 in the Kyle of LochalshtShiel Bridge area.
Seileach, near Fort William. This is the third phase of the construction programme at Onich, which processes 420 m 3 of water per day, supplying a population of around 1000. The £1 million ($1.4 million) plant will augment the nearby Ballachulich water-supply system, and again uses the PCI spiral-membrane design to remove colour from the upland source-waters prior to consumption. According ~o PCl-Water, operational costs are cut dramatically using this spiral design, compared with conventional municipal spiral designs, with no increase in capital costs.
Client support Both turnkey contracts meet the full mechanical and electrical requirements of the NoSWA, which means that no additional client support is required in this area. At both sites, the consortium has built new access roads, and the site at Kyle of Lochalsh has gained a new bridge. Both site contracts included a treatmentplant building, although they are not the same. At the Onich site, it is a steel-framed, concrete panel-clad structure with a steel roof, while the building at Kyle of Lochalsh uses a steel frame, and a steel-dad construction. Reservoirs of 2000 m 3 and 1000 m 3 were also built at the Kyle of Lochalsh and Onich sites, respectively, using reinforced concrete.
Wider scope These contracts were both completed within 49 weeks, and are among the first to be awarded to the consortium. PCI-Water says that previously it had not collaborated in this way with another company, but it does so now with the full approval of its parent company; Thames Water. Working as the lead partner in the consortium, it can now widen ~he scope of its operations, allowing it to bid for, and project-manage, much larger contracts.
For more information, contact: PCI-Water,
LaverstokeMill, Whitchurch, HampshireR628 7NR, UK. Tel: +44 1256 896966, Fax:+44 1256 893835.
Second plant
Or contact: PCI-Memtech,LionWay, Morriston,
The consortium is also installing a second plant at the Onich water treatment works at Gleann
SwanseaSA7 9FB,UK.TeI:+44 1792 310454, Fax:+44 1792 310331.
i
i Membrane TechnologyNo. 135