How Ozone Conserves Water & Reduces Operational Costs
April showers brings flowers, but also the opportunity for harvesting rainwater! Ozone is universally recognized for its superior disinfection but it also offers equally important water conservation and reuse benefits. Rainwater, stormwater and groundwater can all be treated and reused for non-potable water applications. Ozone has the ability to improve water supply reliability and resiliency in an environmentally responsible way.
Many regions around the world are experiencing water shortages and rationing. Municipalities, farmers and industries are all facing the impact of climate change and its associated costs. This has heightened the need to conserve water and reduce operational costs.
Ozone solutions can be engineered to provide water reuse opportunities for building infrastructure, greenhouses, horticultural and industries such as food processing, beverages, dairies, wineries, breweries and more. Reuse applications include non-potable water for irrigation, cooling towers, sanitation, toilet flushing, water fountains/features, replenishment of groundwater basins and more.
Rainwater Reuse
Rainwater harvesting has become an increasingly important tool to mitigate growing water demands for urban, agricultural and industrial use. Ozone offers a sustainable water management solution for the capture and reuse of rainwater.
Rainwater is typically collected and piped into large cisterns and treated with ozone on site when needed. The treatment of rainwater, like any water source, requires analysis of the range of contaminants that are typically present. The distilled rainwater that falls from the sky pulls contaminants into it from air and surface surfaces. For example, rainwater runoff from a metal roof, can be contaminated with iron. If the roof is asphalt, the rainwater may contain hydrocarbons. Greenroof runoff - using plants and soil to mitigate rainfall - will contain contaminants from the soil it filters through.
Treated rainwater can be stored and treated on demand for reuse. It can also be incorporated into a closed loop system that provides an automated solution for the continuous irrigation and watering of plants, trees, produce and flowers.
StormWater Reuse
Ozone offers reuse opportunities for stormwater that is collected on the surface and foundations of parking lots, offices and multi-unit residential buildings etc. Stormwater (and snowmelt) is captured in a retention pond, cistern, tank, well or dugout.
Stormwater requires a treatment solution that can manage fluctuating, spontaneous and large volumes of water as well as a wide range of contaminants. Comprehensive on-site and laboratory analysis is necessary to determine typical water flow and contaminants, accounting for seasonal variations, snowmelt, salt, sediments, oil & gas leaks etc.
Stormwater can be stored and then treated onsite when needed for a variety of non-potable reuse applications. This reuse water can result in significant cost savings when used for watering plants, irrigation, flushing toilets, water features/ponds etc.
Groundwater Reuse
Ozone groundwater treatment solutions can incorporate reuse applications for a variety of end users including municipalities, parks, conservation areas, and building infrastructure.
Groundwater treatment is one of the most challenging water issues to solve due to the difficulty in determining the source(s) of contamination. Virtually all groundwater contamination contents are reflective of its soil and ground structure and others from human activity above and/or below the ground surface. Organics, metals and other contaminants can run deep below the surface and can be further influenced from contaminated rainfall that penetrates the ground. Complex analysis is required to study the contaminants and determine the ozone treatment solution. Groundwater can be stored and treated for reuse as needed for a range of non-potable water needs.
Sanitation Water ReUse
Ozone CIP sanitation solutions offer significant water conservation benefits. Unlike other sanitation methods that require a hot-water chemical rinse followed by a final rinse, ozone sanitation simply requires a single cold-water rinse. This offers immediate savings on chemicals, hot water and shortens cleaning cycles. Ozone also offers an ideal re-use option for final rinse in a closed production loop, further reducing the amount of water used and wasted. Any wastewater from the cleaning process is much higher quality, reducing waste issues from chemical uses. Ozone is pre-approved by CFIA and the US FDA.
Ozone Saves Water & Costs
The use of ozone can also reduce operational costs. In addition to the cost savings inherent in water conservation and reuse, ozone water treatment is energy efficient and there is no need to buy, transport or store expensive and hazardous chemicals.
Ozone’s ability to provide sustainable water conservation and reuse benefits is a critical competitive advantage and will become even more so as the impacts of climate change contribute to increased global water scarcity and droughts.
For more information on how Aclarus can help you reuse and conserve water, please contact us here.