Industries
Potable Water
All fresh water is becoming scarce, particularly in drought-stricken areas of the world. Fresh water is critical for agriculture and it is essential for drinking water. There are many sources of water that can be treated to drinking water standards. Those sources include: seawater, brackish water and even waste water. The most prevalent source is from fresh water wells, lakes or streams; however, even those waters almost always require some form of treatment.
Boiler & Cooling Tower Water
Both boiler feed water and cooling tower water require high-purity water. Contaminants in the water can cause scaling, plugging and corrosion without proper water treatment to remove these contaminants.
Produced Water
There is much negative publicity targeted at the use and disposal of water from the oil & gas industry. Water is used for the drilling and hydraulic fracturing operations. Alternative sources of water such as treated brackish or produced water must be used. Waste water in the form of frack flowback water and produced water are a major disposal problem and treatment systems must be implemented.
Food & Beverage
The requirements for food and beverage are similar to what is required for potable water, but frequently additional treatment is required for these specialized uses of fresh water.
Mining
Water is used for the mining activity but is also frequently a byproduct of the mining activity itself. Treating this waste water is especially difficult when one looks at the contaminants released in the mining process.
Agriculture
Fresh water for irrigation purposes is certainly the largest water use in the world. The largest source of this water is groundwater, which only has a limited supply. Droughts and contamination each year make this source increasingly scarce. Water treatment is an alternative depending upon the local economics.
Environmental
Hardly a day that goes by without the occurrence of some environmental water disaster. The preferred solution is always prevention, but frequently the solution lies in the treatment of the contaminated water.
Industrial Water
The treatment and reuse of industrial water is becoming a necessity as the sources of water become more expensive. Water treatment offers an opportunity for industry to maximize profitability and minimize liability.