Recycled Waste Wash Water Saves Millions Each Year

The National Resources Review has featured our Director, Val Whitton in their November/ December edition of their online magazine.  You can read the article below, or click here to visit the online magazine itself.  

RECYCLED WASTE WASH WATER SAVES MILLIONS EACH YEAR!

 By Valentine Whitton, Director, Environmental Services, Fleetwash.

 WATER – A VALUABLE RESOURCE

 Water is one of the world’s most valuable resources, and none more so than here in Australia, being one of the driest countries on earth where water is under constant threat due to climate change,  resulting drought, ever expanding  population growth, and waste.

One of the most promising efforts to stem from the global water crisis is mining and industrial water reclamation and reuse.    The mining industry in Australia is a large user of water with a high percentage of water  used currently being considered waste due to contamination, solids and hydrocarbon content.  It is no longer an acceptable proposition for waste water from mining and industrial operations to be considered and treated as a “waste product”.  It needs to be identified as a valuable resource and available for re-use if used in a “fit for purpose” manner”

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

By effective removal of solids and oils, as well as biological  treatment of the waste water  with ozone,  it is possible to deliver  waste water from mining operations and infrastructure maintenance including vehicle washing, as “fit for purpose” for re-use for non-potable purposes on the mine site.   Thereby saving millions of litres of water every year from being “flushed down the drain” leading to reduced operational costs for end users as well as enhancing environmental sustainability. 

A recent joint venture between Fleetwash, one of Australia’s largest truck wash companies, and Oleology, a specialist water treatment company from Perth, has changed all that.  The release of the Fleetwash Oleology Truck Wash and Water  Treatment and Recycle System, with its unique equipment build and design, with no odour and no chemicals used in the removal process -means no cost, no storage and no dosing with expensive equipment and no handling of toxic chemicals  all of which was previously unheard of in the water treatment industry, until now!  This system will deliver recycled water for re-use with success being 100% water availability and it will change the way mining and industrial companies look at their water usage on site.    

COMPLIANCE WITH STRINGENT WA GUIDELINES ON WATER RECYCLE

This system will deliver waste wash water which adheres  to the Department of Health (DOH)  compliance for use of recycled water and complies with the “Guidelines for the non-potable use of Recycled Water in Western Australia - 2011”  

 Compliance with the stringent WA Guidelines has been achieved by:

• Solids removal by regenerative filtration
• Oil removal by the utilisation of patented MyCelx oil removal technology
• Biological treatment with the use of ozonation for ongoing management and UV sterilisation at point of use.

ON SITE MONITORING

On-line water monitoring of the on-site wash water recycling system is in accordance with the published guidelines for use of recycled water in WA 2011.  Regular ongoing monitoring ensures smooth running and operations support, with the ability to empower local staff with appropriate responses to process upsets.

 As a minimum the Oleology on-line system monitors water quality at site and this monitoring will include:

• PH
• Turbidity
• Ozone –ORP
• TPH

In addition NATA sampling is conducted 6 monthly and yearly E.coli and BTEX.

For more information on the availability of this equipment contact:

Valentine Whitton – Fleetwash on 1300 880 780

Paul Callaghan – Oleology on 1300 692 359