Consequently, industry has not only started adopting measures to minimize waste, but also has been looking for various means by which they can recover and recycle their wastewater. Some industries, such as Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd., have successfully experimented to recover and reuse water from their regenerant waste streams using reverse osmosis and are in the process of setting up large-capacity plants. Role of Membranes in Water Recovery and Reuse Membrane processes, with their variety and flexibility, are characterized by ambient temperature operation, low energy consumption, and modular nature. The physicochemical mechanism of separation requires only limited use of chemicals, making the process eco-friendly. In some cases, the processes allow the recovery of valuable chemicals for reuse.
Membranes are available in the market covering a wide range of characteristics.
Water recycling and reuse, in this context, has assumed greater significance. Thus, industries have resorted to methods whereby they can recover and reuse water. The general scheme 2 followed, as shown below, consists of preliminary, primary, and secondary treatments for the reduction of suspended matter and bio-contaminants. The water thus recovered is being used as a boiler feed after polishing through demineralizers. This process has encouraged the state government to adopt the scheme for Chennai, traditionally a water-starved city in India, for recycling about 30 MGD of water for industrial use.