Zero Liquid Discharge
Zero Liquid Discharge represents the pinnacle of industrial water stewardship, where absolutely no liquid effluent leaves the facility boundary. This approach emerged from the convergence of water scarcity, regulatory tightening, and sustainability mandates across global Traditional “treat-and-release” models became untenable as discharge permits tightened to sub-ppm levels and water procurement costs escalated beyond 2 USD per kilolitre in many regions.
Industrial effluent treatment has evolved from simple clarification and discharge to sophisticated multi-barrier systems capable of handling extreme pH variations, high total dissolved solids, complex organics, and toxic metals. Modern industrial processes generate wastewater streams that can vary from pH 1 to 14, contain TDS levels exceeding 50,000 mg/L, and include recalcitrant compounds that resist conventional biological degradation. Traditional activated sludge plants often fail under these conditions, leading to permit violations and costly emergency interventions.
Industrial Effluent Treatment
Ultrapure water
Ultrapure water production represents one of the most demanding applications in industrial water treatment, requiring resistivity levels exceeding 18 MΩ·cm and contamination levels measured in parts per trillion. Traditional UPW systems relied on multiple mixed-bed ion exchange units requiring hazardous chemical regeneration, extensive downtime, and significant waste generation. The semiconductor industry’s transition to sub-5nm node manufacturing has further intensified purity requirements while demanding higher flow rates and improved reliability.