As water is stretched and regulations around it tightened, the energy industry feels the burden. This can result in everything from reduced operations and higher costs for consumers to,in extreme cases, blackouts and gas and electricity shortages.
The EPA has proposed a regulation that, if passed, would set the first federal limits on the levels of toxic metals in wastewater discharged from power plants in over three decades.
Resources being a scarce commodity, it’s incumbent upon us to optimize the use of water and energy as best we can. While conservation is the prime course of action for the public, the best solution for utilities may be to work smarter — by having the water-energy nexus work for us instead of against us.
Currently, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia about 1.5 million barrels of oil are consumed daily to generate electricity to drive reverse osmosis desalination plants. This represents about 15 percent of KSA’s daily oil production.
Stormwater is often thought of as a burden. Too much of it can overwhelm wastewater treatment facilities, flood communities, and lead to the pollution of lakes and rivers. There is debate on who’s in charge of it and how it should be managed. Several communities have invested millions, and some even billions, trying to control stormwater. Even chicken farmers have issues with stormwater.
Substances regulated or substances unregulated may ultimately impact the environment, health, and water supply of others. The following safety considerations are advised for those who store, handle, or transport potentially dangerous substances.
A partnership between power and desalination plants may be the solution to drinking water scarcity. Researchers are working on a new system that can create potable water using a low-temperature desalination process powered by waste heat from a waterless power plant cooling system.
To assist industrial operators in managing and preventing biofilm, Italian start-up ALVIM Srl created a monitoring system that provides early warning detection of bacterial biofilm growing on pipelines, tanks, heat exchangers, RO membranes, and other equipment.
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