Patent ID: 8679342

Claim:
A method for treating a steam generator circuit purging or cleaning effluent, the method comprising: providing effluent from a purging or cleaning operation of the steam generator circuit, wherein the effluent has a pH of 7.0 or above and wherein the effluent contains suspended solids, organic acids, metals, and nitrogen-containing compounds; lowering the pH of the effluent to between approximately 5 and approximately 6.5 such that the organic acids, the nitrogen-containing compounds, and metals are dissolved within the effluent; removing suspended solids from the effluent; concentrating the effluent in a reverse osmosis unit and in an evaporator-concentrator so as to produce a treated effluent; and wherein concentrating the effluent removes at least 98% of the organic acids, metals, and nitrogen-containing compounds contained in the steam generator circuit purging or cleaning effluent.