Industrial water management > Circular water management
Circular water management
In a world where water is becoming scarce and valuable, wasting it is no longer an option. “Closing the loop” or circular water management means closing the water cycle within your production process. Eco-Vision helps companies not simply to discharge waste and process water, but to treat, reuse and valorise it. By thinking in circular terms, you not only increase your sustainability, but also reduce your operating costs and lessen your dependence on external water sources.
What is circular water management?
Circular water management revolves around closing the water cycle. Instead of using water only once, it is purified and reused. Think of collecting rainwater, reusing greywater for toilets, or treating industrial wastewater and using it again.
Difference from traditional water management
In traditional water management, discharge is central. Circular water management focuses on reuse and minimises waste. The focus shifts from “get rid of it” to “what else can we do with this water?”
Important components of circular water management in industry
For industrial companies, water is not just an auxiliary substance – it is an essential engine in production processes, cooling, cleaning and more. Due to rising water tariffs, stricter regulations and societal pressure towards sustainability, more and more businesses view circular water management as a strategic solution. Below we discuss four core components that help companies use water more efficiently, more cheaply and more sustainably.
Water reuse
within industrial processes
Water reuse forms the basis of circular water management in an industrial context. Whereas traditionally water is discharged as waste after use, reuse offers the possibility of using the water again within operations. For example, think of rinse water that, after treatment, is used again as cooling water or in technical installations. This not only reduces the demand for clean mains water, but also the load on the sewer system and the costs of discharge.
For many companies, this means a significant saving on operating costs. Especially in sectors such as chemicals, the food industry or paper production – where water consumption is high – water reuse makes the difference between a linear and a future-proof process. Modern treatment techniques such as ultrafiltration, UV disinfection or membrane technology make it possible to tailor reuse to the requirements of the specific production process.
Decentralised treatment
on your own site
Instead of depending on external treatment plants or municipal facilities, more and more companies are opting for their own decentralised treatment solution on site. This not only gives them control over their waste streams, but also offers flexibility to reuse water directly after treatment in production. Such systems are scalable and can be adapted to the needs of a growing company or changing production requirements.
Having your own installation also means that companies can respond more quickly to changes in regulations or production loads. Moreover, discharge levies are drastically reduced when the treated water is reused rather than discharged. For businesses in areas with limited water infrastructure, such as remote industrial estates, decentralised treatment is often the only feasible solution.
Rainwater harvesting
for business use
Rainwater is often underestimated as a valuable resource, especially in the industrial sector. Yet the large roof surfaces of factories, warehouses and storage halls offer excellent opportunities for rainwater harvesting. This water can be collected, filtered and stored relatively easily for use within the company. It is ideally suited to applications where drinking water quality is not required, such as cleaning machines, watering company grounds or rinsing installations.
By actively using rainwater, companies reduce their dependence on the regular water network, lower their consumption of drinking water and limit peak loads on the sewer system during heavy rainfall. In many cases this offers not only ecological benefits, but also financial ones: less water purchasing means lower operating costs, and in some municipalities companies with rainwater systems are even eligible for tax advantages or subsidies.
Wastewater as a source
of raw materials and energy
Perhaps the most innovative aspect of circular water management is the re-evaluation of wastewater as a source of raw materials and energy. Instead of simply treating and discharging the water, more and more companies are looking at the possibilities of extracting valuable elements from their residual water streams. Wastewater often contains residual heat that can be recovered via heat exchangers and used for heating buildings or industrial processes.
In addition, more and more techniques are available to filter nutrients, metals or chemicals out of the water. In the food industry, for example, organic material from process water can be digested into biogas, which can then be used to generate energy for the company itself. In the chemical industry, specific substances are recovered for reuse, reducing both discharge costs and dependence on external suppliers.
This approach fits perfectly with broader thinking within the circular economy: residual streams are no longer a cost item, but a new source of value. By seeing wastewater not as a problem but as an opportunity, companies make their processes more sustainable, profitable and innovative.
Technologies of circular water management
Technological innovations in the field of water management have advanced greatly in recent years. From advanced membrane filtration to smart rainwater storage and from biological treatment installations to systems for energy recovery from residual water – every component of circular water management has its own range of specialist applications.
Water reuse
Reuse of process and rinse water within business processes
Ultrafiltration (UF)
Reverse osmosis (RO)
Activated carbon filtration
UV disinfection
Decentralised treatment systems
Local treatment at company or site level
Membrane bioreactors (MBR)
SBR systems (Sequencing Batch Reactor)
Anaerobic digesters
Siphon or sand filters
Rainwater collection and reuse
Use for rinsing, cooling, cleaning
Rainwater storage tanks
Self-cleaning filters
Booster pumps
Smart rainwater sensors
Wastewater as a raw material
Recovery of energy and raw materials from wastewater
Heat exchangers (residual heat)
Struvite reactors (phosphate recovery) Biogas installations
Electrochemical separation techniques
Contact
Eco-Vision
Looking for an efficient and sustainable solution? Our engineers and technical specialists are happy to think along with you. Get in touch for an analysis of your installation or process, and discover how Eco-Vision can contribute to optimisation, reuse and cost savings.
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