Everything You Need to Know About Industrial Water Filtration Systems

September 6, 2021

Industrial water filtration systems purify water for specific industrial purposes, including manufacturing and consumption. These systems use processes that differ greatly from the water purification systems you’d find in homes and offices. Basic steps included in the industrial water filtration process are screening, flocculation/coagulation, filtration and disinfection. This process can range from relatively simple to very complex.

There are several different types of industrial water filtration systems, including wastewater treatment systems, raw water treatment systems, cooling tower water treatment systems and boiler feed water treatment systems. Read on to learn about these systems in greater detail.

Cooling tower treatment systems

Cooling tower treatment systems are designed to protect cooling towers from harmful contaminants, including iron, chlorides, sulfates and more. These materials can cause corrosion, biological growth, scaling and other types of damage to a cooling tower. To remove such contaminants from the water supply, cooling tower treatment systems utilize several processes, including makeup water intake, filtration, softening, chemical addition, side-stream filtration and post treatment.

The system first replaces water lost to evaporation and leaks with makeup water. It then uses a series of filters to remove contaminants before reducing the water’s hardness with a softening resin or membrane softener. The last few steps involve adding chemicals and filtering out any other harmful contaminants.

Wastewater treatment systems

Wastewater treatment systems convert raw sewage into water safe for environmental use. They do so by first precipitating solids, metals and silica from the water. Next, the system removes dangerous pathogens through disinfection. This is an important step in preventing future health problems for any humans or animals that come in contact with the water. Next, the system softens the solution by reducing the amount of minerals and sulfates. Once fully treated, the system will route the water.

Raw water treatment systems

Raw water is untreated water that can come from a variety of local environmental sources, including wells, lakes and rivers. Industrially, these systems are used for product formulations, rinsing and more. Raw water treatment systems also purify water for human use.

The process involves first using a mesh material or metal grate to remove large materials. The system will then remove suspended solids through a series of steps, including coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation and filtration. The next steps involve disinfecting then softening the water. The system will then use an IX unit to further soften the water. After the water has been treated, the system will route the water through pumping.

Boiler feed water treatment systems

Boiler feed water often features certain impurities, including aluminum, magnesium, calcium and more. Like in a cooling tower treatment system, boiler feed water treatment systems first add makeup water to the solution. They then use several filtration units to remove some impurities from the water. An IX unit is then used to soften the water before de-alkalization occurs. The last steps of boiler feed water treatment include reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, primary ion exchange, degasification, polishing and routing.

As you can see, there’s a lot that goes into purifying water for industrial use. If you’re in need of an industrial water filtration system, contact the experts at WES Water today!

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