Travis Hanson – P.E.
Why Reuse Water?
With water scarcity on the rise and regulations tightening, wastewater reclaim has become essential to conserve water resources from dry Southwest to the tightly regulated Great Lakes region. Companies also want to achieve ESG goals and be seen as environmental stewards. But reclaiming industrial wastewater requires more than off-the-shelf solutions and treating biologically active waste isn’t easy—most systems fail. Apex, however, built one that works. Here’s how.
Lessons from the Past
Apex began by studying what went wrong in other reclaim projects:
- Over-optimistic assumptions about water quality
- TSS spikes that overwhelmed membranes
- Poor chemical choices leading to fouling
- Skipping pilot testing, resulting in underperformance
Failed examples included clogged UF systems and corrosive outputs that damaged equipment.
The Apex Approach: Test First, Then Build
The Site: An East Coast Dairy
The client’s old system had failed to consider the issues associated with filtering biologically active wastewater with sand media. Apex piloted a new solution on-site to ensure results before building.
The Tech: Electrochemical Pretreatment
Apex used electrochemical oxidation instead of chlorine to pretreat the water, reducing the need for chemical inputs and simplifying operation. Even during a TSS surge, the system maintained stable performance.
Key Design Moves
- Submerged UF membranes proved better than pressure UF for solids-heavy water.
- Piloting was essential to determine real flux rates.
- New KPIs like oxidation potential and <0.20 NTU turbidity were more useful than traditional SDI.
- RO systems were designed for frequent chemical flushes, not just deep cleanings.
Results
Though it ran at 80% capacity, the system met 100% of cooling tower demand. RO water quality held up well over two years. Minor challenges like polymer dosing and airflow control were resolved post-install.
Budget-Conscious Design
Instead of expensive redundancy, the system relied on city water as a fallback. The result? Lower cost, full functionality, and satisfied clients.
Conclusion
Apex’s water reclaim system worked because it was based on real-world testing, flexible design, and deep application know-how in water and process optimization. It’s a model for how sustainability and practicality can go hand-in-hand.
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See the real-world data, design blueprints, and lessons learned from successful and failed reclaim systems.