Time for a new water balance

03/15/2022

The image of the Netherlands as a land of water needs to be adjusted drastically in the coming years. Climate change is causing longer periods of drought or flooding due to heavy rain. And if there is enough water available, it remains to be seen whether the quality is sufficient. Furthermore, water companies are seeing more and more micro-pollutants and endocrine disruptors in their samples. Where there is scarcity, choices will have to be made and in those choices the industry will not always be at the forefront. Time therefore for a re-evaluation of the water balance.

Environmental manager and water specialist Michiel van der Meer of Bilfinger Tebodin warns companies to map their water consumption and usage in time. “More and more provinces are running up against the limits of the fresh water system and the national government is also trying to protect the water supply with new laws and regulations. We therefore receive more and more requests from companies to optimize the water balance of their production process or to look for alternative water sources. Compliance issues (whereby a future-proof business operation is also anticipated) or a green, sustainable and circular character often drives this. In a process optimization, water saving is not the driving force but it is a nice bonus. In addition to these requests, more and more attention is being paid internally to a sustainable water balance within our engineering processes.”

Water balance

Although Bilfinger Tebodin is primarily known as a technically oriented company, the solution does not always lie in technology according to Van der Meer. “Companies have not had to think about water scarcity or which water quality they need for which processes for a long time. If sufficient drinking or groundwater is available, one cubic meter more or less does not matter much. However, current conditions are forcing them to look again at the water balance and the possibilities for reduction in water supply and emissions to the environment. If they have ever prepared a water balance, it often has not been kept up to date, let alone adjusted to changing company conditions. It is therefore wise to always have an up-to-date water balance that shows the incoming and outgoing flows. With this water balance you know where your water goes, what quality the water needs and you can efficiently look at possible reuse options. By cleverly looking at what water quality you need per process you can optimize the water balance even further.”

Alternative sources

Van der Meer likes to think along with the companies. “Only when the flows are clear you can start optimizing. Companies often choose drinking water for its convenience, while in many cases they can also use water of lesser quality. However, legislators are limiting drinking water use, increasingly mandating reuse, and trying to minimize groundwater withdrawals. As a result, and by further restrictions on the discharge and discharge quality of process water, however, a new balance is emerging.” In practice, it comes down to companies needing to address the source of their pollution, states Van der Meer. “And where preventing emissions is not possible, they will have to treat their wastewater extensively before they can discharge it. If companies have to treat their wastewater anyway, in some cases they might as well put that water back into their processes. Sometimes this can be done directly or with a small (extra) water treatment. So I always advise companies to first look at their own potentially circular sources and strive for a sustainable water balance. Not that this should be the ideal picture in the Netherlands, but in many countries zero liquid discharge is already mandatory.”

WHEN YOU ARE FORCED TO LIMIT YOUR INTAKE, SUDDENLY A LOT MORE IS POSSIBLE

Environment

“Should its own circular water supply not be sufficient, a company can still look to its neighbors,” Van der Meer continues. “Many companies are part of a cluster or an industrial estate where different water flows usually converge. If, for example, they use a joint wastewater treatment plant, that can be a new source of process water. And why would you dispose of rainwater via the sewer when you can also use it in the process or as rinse water? You sometimes need some creativity and guts to see the opportunities, but if you are forced to limit your intake, suddenly a lot more is possible. Moreover, there are often derived benefits to reuse. More and more companies are recovering raw materials from their wastewater, but also from heat, for example. In addition, (water) optimization contributes to an important Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations for a fair and sustainable world in 2030. Here too, awareness plays an important role.”

Perhaps the most difficult obstacle to overcome in the transition to an optimal water balance is the corporate culture and routines. “People don’t always want to change their procedures because they’ve been doing the same thing for 30 years, for example,” says Van der Meer. “If water is cheap and widely available, it doesn’t matter how much water you use. And if the cheap water is of drinking water quality anyway, why think about water of lesser quality? Nevertheless, it pays to think carefully about the water balance, to be consciously involved with water and to look at sustainable procedures and organizational agreements. So, establish together what the legislator really requires and critically review your routines.”