How De Wasstraat made an informed decision for improved water reuse

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THE CLIENT

De Wasstraat is a carwash with a capacity of 150 cars per hour and a strong vision on sustainability. Their products are bio-degradable and their water is treated and reused for about 90%

INTRODUCTION

De Wasstraat is a carwash that is famous for its sustainable approach, already reusing about 90% of its water. For extra reuse, they considered to upgrade the water they now discharge in the sewer for reuse. Water Experts compared the use of ultrafiltration with vacuum evaporation in terms of reuse potential, investment cost and operational cost

The challenge

Some of the treated water is discharged in the sewer, which they want to upgrade further for reuse, lowering their discharge even more.

Water Experts gave independent advice on this matter.

The discharged water is already treated biologically, but still contains some solids, oils and waxes that might pose a risk for treatment

The Solution

Water Experts compared the use of ultrafiltration to vacuum evaporation in terms of technical suitability for treating the water and economic costs for investment and operation. Feedback on experience was gathered form several technology providers, along with an estimation of investment cost and operational cost. This feedback was combined with internal knowledge and reported to De Wasstraat.

The result

The use of ultrafiltration was cheaper than using vacuum evaporation in terms of investment cost and operational cost. However, there was a concern about the possible effect of the oils and waxes on the membranes, which could result in frequent renewal of the membranes and, thus, increasing costs. The lifetime of vacuum evaporators was deemed longer than membrane technology and the reuse potential was higher (lower loss of water, as membranes must be backwashed). These factors led to the decision to run a test pilot with membrane technology, as the high investment cost for a vacuum evaporator was a main drawback.

Overall, our independent advice unburdened De Wasstraat so they could focus on their core business and make an informed decision based on our insights.

Provided Services

Wastewater 
treatment

Design or optimize a 
wastewater treatment plant

Water 
reuse

Find out how to achieve
 circular water use

Water 
audit

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& money with an audit
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