Treat make-up or blowdown water in cooling towers.

[jisita]

Good morning,

I’m going to install a water treatment system for our cooling towers, but I didn’t know what will have bigger water savings, to treat the make-up water or to treat the blow down in order to re-use it.

Any ideas in what will be better?

Thanks

 

[bimr]

It depends on what you are trying to accomplish.

This is a systems problem that would consider all aspects of the installation. If you are trying to minimize wastewater, you would have a different strategy than if you are trying to reuse wastewater. It also depends on what is in the water analysis.

You have not provided enough details to provide any recommendation. Why don't you share some details such as a water analysis and why you are going for water reuse.

 

[GarySCWSVI]

I agree with bimr on the need for water analysis and other details.

Reuse of blowdown will be expensive. Typically, more so than treating the makeup water. Determining the type of makeup water treatment is dependent upon the makeup water analysis. This also, as is, the blowdown water analysis in determining the type of water treatment for the blowdown water for reuse.

Gary Schreiber, CWS VI
The Purolite Co.

 

[jisita]

Thanks for your responses, more info about this, is in my other post about Cooling Towers.

Really do you think is better to treat the make-up than the blow down? (In order to save the biggest amount of water) What's more typically done?

I want to increase the concentration cycles…. Because 1.63 is so low…

 

[GarySCWSVI]

In order to increase the cycles of concentration one is better off pretreating the make up water than treating the blowdown water. Pretreating the make up water is more typical.

Gary Schreiber, CWS VI
The Purolite Co.