Water Recycle and Reuse for Oil & Gas Industry

Recycled water is sufficient to meet majority of the water demand, as long as it is properly treated, ensuring that the quality of water is significant for use

Water recycling is a process in which treated wastewater is utilized for various purposes such as toilet flushing, industrial processes, agricultural and landscape irrigation. Water recycling process offers significant financial and resource savings. Wastewater treatment process is carried out to meet the water requirements for a planned reuse. Water recycled for landscape irrigation requires much less treatment than water recycled for drinking purposes.

Although, majority of the water recycling projects are carried out to meet the demand for non-potable water. Large number of projects are indirectly using recycled water for potable purposes. These types of projects comprises recharging of ground water aquifers and boosting the surface water reservoirs with recycled water. Projects such as ground water recharge, recycled water is injected into the ground water aquifers to boost ground water supplies. For instance, a project of direct injection, situated in the U.S., has been infusing recycled water into the aquifer to avoid the entry of salt water, thereby augmenting the ground water supply of potable water.

Recycled water is generally used for non-potable purposes, such as public parks, landscape, agriculture, and irrigation purposes. Other applications of non-potable water comprises cooling water for oil refineries and power plants. Industrial process water is used in various purposes such as dust control, concrete mixing, artificial lakes, paper mills, construction activities, and concrete mixing. For instance, when an industry recycles water for cooling purposes, a common form of recycled water is the water that has been recovered from sewage or municipal wastewater. Water recycling is a generic term used synonymously with water reuse and water reclamation.

Recycled water is sufficient to meet majority of the water demand, as long as it is properly treated, thereby ensuring that the quality of water is significant for use. For using recycled water, chances of human exposure to the water are very high, thereby required more treatment. Any water source, which is not properly treated can lead to large number of health problems from drinking or getting exposed to recycled water.

Further, by providing a dependable and a domestic water supply, water recycling could provide numerous environmental benefits. Other benefits include reducing and preventing water pollution thereby decreasing wastewater discharges. Recycled water is also used to enhance riparian habitats and wetlands. Through an additional source of water, water recycling process can help in decreasing the diversion of water from ecosystems.

Plants, aquatic organisms and wildlife depends on water bodies to live and give birth to their young ones. Lack of adequate flow for various purposes, could lead to lead to deterioration of water quality thereby disturbing the entire ecosystem. Human beings who reuse water can meet their demands by using a reliable and a trusted source of recycled water, which is free from any sort of impurities.

Water recycling process has proved to be an effective and an efficient source for creating a water supply without compromising on the public health. Water reuse is a accepted all across the globe and in future it will continue to increase at a significant rate.  Although, in many parts of the U.S., the usage of recycled water is increasing in order to satisfy the needs of the environment. With advancements in water recycling technology, wastewater treatment process would soon become an important aspect for human life. Recycling of gray and waste water demands less amount of energy than treating the salt water using a desalination process. 

Source: Your Oil and Gas News

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Taxonomy

• Water Reuse & Recycling
• Reuse
• Oil & Gas