The growth of population, the pace of modern life and the products we require have increased the demand for water at a faster rate than the recovery capacity of the aquifers. It is crucial to reach a conscious use, reduce pollution and increase wastewater treatment to a level that nature is able to performs its life cycle reducing the scarcity of the resource.
According to the UN, approximately 60% of total water consumption in developed countries is for industrial use, 30% for agricultural consumption, and 10% is used domestically. The industrial sector is not only the one that spends the most, but also the one that pollutes the most. More than 80% of the world's hazardous waste is produced in industrialized countries, while in developing nations 70% of the waste generated in factories is dumped into water without any prior treatment, thus polluting the available water resources. These data give us an idea of the importance of the treatment and reuse of wastewater in the industrial sector in the world.
The purpose of drinking, industrial or residual water treatment facilities is to obtain the quality of water needed for that reason the combination of processes and design change depending on the initial water conditions and the use before the treatment.
The main areas of water treatment can be included in the following:
- Water extraction and conduction
- Drinking water treatment
- Process water treatment
- Waste water treatment
The automation of these processes includes not only the measurement and control of different physical-chemical parameters, but also an improvement in the quality of the final product and the optimization of resources such as chemical reagents, electrical energy, maintenance and plant availability.