Page 18 - Industrial Wastewater Treatment, Recycling and Reuse

CHAPTER 1

Industrial Wastewater Treatment,

Recycling, and Reuse:

An Overview

Vivek V. Ranade, Vinay M. Bhandari
Chemical Engineering and Process Development Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India

1.1 WATER USAGE IN INDUSTRY

Water is a precious commodity that was once available almost free of cost.
However, times have changed, and today water is free for neither people in
society nor for industry. In fact, for industry, the cost of water has risen to
such a level that it is now considered the same as for any other raw material
used in the industry. Water fulfills several roles and functions in all types of
industries. Almost all the water used in industries ends up as industrial waste-
water. Release of this industrial wastewater into the environment creates a
significant footprint and may also create various other hazards. This is
especially true for chemical and allied process industries. It is therefore
imperative that every effort is made to reduce water usage and to treat waste-
water to make it reusable or at least safer to discharge into the environment.
This book focuses on providing comprehensive information about
state-of-the-art industrial wastewater treatment, recycling, and reuse. This
chapter provides an overview of key aspects and technologies for wastewater
treatment, recycling, and reuse with a particular focus on chemical and allied
process industries.
Chemical and allied process industries use water extensively, thus making
them water-intensive industries. The main uses of water are listed in Table 1.1.
These needs for water are satisfied using the following sources:
• Surface water/groundwater
• Seawater
• Recycled water (industrial wastewater/urban sewage).
The following section provides a brief overview of water availability and
usage. Aspects of wastewater treatment and the need for recycling and reuse
of used water are then briefly discussed.

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