Discover how to reuse water , from your home to your office, and thus extend the availability of this vital resource for many years to come. The various methods of water recycling will become an essential element for industries; keep reading to find out why.
What is Water Recycling?
In the years to come, the success or failure of all industries dedicated to agri-food will depend on whether or not they are able to take action in terms of energy consumption, the depletion of various raw materials, the continuous growth of pollution and the lack of water. constant.
They must seek solutions that are sustainable over time in the long and short term, not only in terms of production, but also in terms of waste treatment, this through concepts currently used such as the circular economy and zero discharge, which They are based on the recycling of water.
All must adapt to processes where water and its use can be optimal, efficient and sustainable.
This is possible through the use of different technologies, but not only this, but there must be awareness and management under responsibilities, thus understanding the proper use of the vital liquid.
This must be taken into account since there is only 3% of the earth that is suitable for human consumption, the rest of the existing water is not for consumption, but human beings are not the only ones dependent on it, but that the entire ecosystem depends on the existence of water, otherwise it will not be able to sustain itself for long.
Once water recycling measures are continuously advancing, it is necessary to put them into practice and not just leave them on paper, through a coercive system implemented by each State.
General information on water recycling
Today, finding ways to reuse water from all over the planet is essential and something we shouldn't ignore. We must consider the many ways water is recycled that are currently available, not only at an industrial level, but also at home.
There are various ways to implement a water recycling process, from micro to macro. With each household on the planet that constantly saves a little of this vital liquid, its existence can be extended for future generations, to whom we must also leave a strengthened environmental awareness.
Children play an extremely important role in this plan, since they are the next generation that must be educated so that they are the forgers of a new planet, in which there are possibilities of a quality life and with the correct values, these will be able to moderate the use of water and other necessary resources.
What is water reuse?
This term has been used several times, however, a precise definition of it has not been established, for this reason it is understood as:
Generating great solidarity with the planet earth, with human beings and the rest of the living beings that inhabit it, plants, animals and others, is to seek to avoid the continuous waste of the resources that nature provides and primarily water, this being useful for people's daily lives, when brushing teeth, bathing, cooking, watering plants and other daily activities.
This term is synonymous with water recycling, that is, reusing the water used before being completely wasted, when washing clothes do not throw water into the pipes, when washing the car make rational use of water without wasting not a drop
What ways exist to recycle water?
There are different ways to reuse water that can be implemented through various processes before it is completely discarded, effectively allowing for rational water consumption.
The ways that will be mentioned below, in addition to being the correct reuse of water, will also be a benefit for the family economy, the public and private economy, reducing consumption bills each month.
Therefore, by carrying out these options you will be contributing in both ways, generating changes in the short and long term, you just have to be rational and comply, sharing the knowledge obtained and setting an example in your home, in the office, in the community and others. spaces in which you develop.
Grey waters
This is considered one of the practices that humans can carry out and take into account what to do to recover and reuse water from the environment as an extremely important and useful way, in the home and in communities.
Although the concept of gray water is used every day, few really know what it actually refers to, these being those that are discarded through the pipes when clothes, dishes, the floor or others are washed, as well as those that they are used in bathrooms in the shower or sink.
This type of water has various ways of being recycled, among which the following are mentioned:
- Once it is used for any of the tasks mentioned, it is stored and used to be flushed down the toilet, since this task does not require the water to be drinkable or clean.
- You can also use it to wash your car, water the plants or clean the floor of the patio or stairs, among others.
This can be recycled through basic tasks such as placing punch bowls to collect water, or through pipe processes that can be made at home with simple steps.
Optimal use of water in agriculture
This type of water recycling is also very useful to make better and more use of this remaining resource on planet earth, since this is a fairly wide area where water is indispensable and therefore must be part of this process.
At those times of the year when there is drought, a system in which there are possibilities to recycle water, be it in the fields, in the crops or in the plantations, becomes really elementary.
Recycling and reusing water in this work area is very important for contributing to the conservation of this vital liquid worldwide, since in this way the millions of liters of water used in agriculture could last for a long period.
Office and home cleaning
In these two areas in which a large part of the people usually work, there is a great consumption of water and little awareness is made about its rational use.
Using that water that is used to clean the offices and the home is a good way of contributing to the planet earth, it must be reflected as a daily action that is very healthy.
It is not necessary to spend clean and drinkable water in areas where it is not necessary to do so, but recycled water from other areas can be used, lowering your bills and helping the planet.
Reclaimed rainwater
Thousands of liters of drinking water can be saved if the water that is collected through the rains is used, placing a method of collecting this water through jars or channels that direct the water to a specific point.
This method allows storing liters of water that can be used to wash clothes, clean the floor, water the bushes in times of drought, among other tasks.
After this water is stored, it could also go through a filtering process in which this water would become filtered so that it is suitable for human consumption, for cooking or drinking, but also be used for other tasks such as watering the garden. , wash the dishes and clean the floor.
Placing dishes on the plateaus
This is a very useful method for reusing contaminated water ; if you place some saucers under the countertops, the water left over from watering them can be reused for watering them again on a future occasion.
Remember that there are plants whose excess water runs through their roots until it can be expelled, so you can collect it and reuse it on yourself, so that if a drought occurs, you can resort to this very useful liquid.
Do not throw the water out of the pots
It is very common that when scrubbing the faucet is left open, thus wasting a large number of liters of water that could be avoided for the proper use of the same in other tasks that merit it.
This water could be saved if a pot is filled and dishes, glasses and other utensils of this nature are rinsed in it, since once this task is finished this recycled water can be used to clean the floor, water the plants or other activities. of home.
Recycling with wells
A useful and efficient way to recycle water is through the correct storage of rainwater, collecting it through pipes that went to the water wells.
Once this water is collected, pumping systems are used, which is responsible for extracting this liquid, directing it to the point where it is required.
This being a very useful system in the fields, farms, in masonry and other large areas, but it can also be implemented in homes and even for a community.
Each and every one of these ways of recycling water are very useful and effective, if each of the people made rational use of each drop of water that they obtain, it will be possible to save to a great extent that 3% of pure water that is in the whole world. planet.
Installation of a primary treated water center
These types of systems to recycle water were originally developed to be installed in large industries, since these are the ones that use the most water, however, they can also be implemented in the different houses of a community.
It is usually very useful to remove grease and other chemicals that remain in the water after use in an area of this nature.
At the beginning of the process, the elimination of solid elements such as sand, stones, mud or other types of waste of this type is sought.
Then, in the second instance, the water continues to flow until it reaches a second point, in which it is cleaned of other types of elements such as soap, grease, which will remain floating and thus separate from the clean water.
After these two procedures, the water continues to flow, passes through a filter in which there will be chlorine, and this is responsible for removing all microbes from the vital liquid.
What is the rational use of water?
As has been mentioned throughout the article, it is necessary to be aware of the recycling of water, this term refers to not wasting this vital liquid.
It is necessary to use it wisely and according to what is really needed, taking advantage of every last bit of water that you have.
Being responsible with that treasure that until now is possessed but that in the future could disappear, thus ending the existence of every living being on the planet.
- If you throw paper in the toilet you will be polluting water unnecessarily, use a wastebasket as much as possible.
- Do not allow your home or office to have a damaged faucet, since in this way many liters of water are being wasted.
Membrane separation processes
This is considered one of the disciplines that have the greatest involvement in this great process, which adapts to continuous technological innovations, thus facing each of the inconveniences that may arise.
They optimize the performance of wastewater and its use, but not only this, but it can also be combined with other collection techniques.
Through this, the waters that were destined for the landfill are exploited. It is important to note that this system is highly dependent on the quality of the treated water.
Below are the most commonly used membrane processes:
Mechanisms that have a pressure gradient as their driving force
Among this group the following can be mentioned:
Microfiltration
This is the one that works with pressures that are between 0,01 to 2 bar, that is, they are extremely low, so that those particles that have a large size such as those from 0,05 to 5 microns can be separated.
It is usually very useful for removing suspended matter, fat, starch, bacteria, fungi and spores. In this way, a pre-treatment process is carried out in order to move on to other types of more precise processes.
ultrafiltration
This, like the previous one, works with low pressures but also with medium ones, that is, ranging from 0,5 to 5 bar, dividing the large ones that range from 0,002 to 0,05 microns.
Its capacity is high in terms of the elimination of colloids and viruses and in addition to this it can recover peptides and proteins. It also has the ability to separate dairy products.
And it works just like the previous one as a pre-treatment.
nanofiltration
This works by means of medium and high pressures, thus separating all the smaller solutes that are between 0,0002 and 0,002 microns.
Its potential is based on the purification of lactic acid, separating and also concentrating the fatty acids that are volatile.
It is also in charge of demineralizing the organic currents, discarding all the compounds that are emerging contaminants.
Inverse osmosis
This works only as high pressures that range between 10 and 100 bar, being a process that involves both physics and chemistry.
By means of this the multi- and monovalent salts are separated. Its power is based on the continuous elimination of salts from saline waters, reducing conductivity and creating and making water pure.
diafiltration
With this, the UF and NF processes are changed, in which the water is involved in a way to make it easier to pass or retain the elements that are not desired, leaving them isolated from those elements that are desired to be maintained.
Its potential lies in the isolation of the elements that are desired, since it stores the products that have added value such as lignin and finally demineralizes the organic currents.
Mechanisms with driving force of an electrical potential current gradient
Among these the following can be mentioned:
Electrodialysis with bipolar membranes
This process is due to there being a difference in charge between the anion and the cation that is created by a gradient of electricity. Its potential lies in the continuous reduction of conductivity and in the disposal of salts. But it is also responsible for selecting and eliminating the different impurities, it can also adjust the Ph of the products.
Circular economy
There is a big problem regarding the treatment of effluents from large industries and regarding the technology that is currently available.
Due to this great inconvenience, every year an international seminar is held, technically regarding the efficient management of this vital liquid within all food industries, in which innovative terms such as circular economy are being used.
Finally, if you wish to delve deeper into these topics, we recommend you learn about the Types of Environmental Impact.