How to save more water in cooling towers?

Maximize the CoC:

The cycle of concentration or CoC is the number of times a tower recycles water before it gets dumped which is also known as water blowdown. The quality of the water and the type of water treatment usually determines the actual number of cycles a water cooling tower system can handle. However, a cycle of concentration of three is generally considered minimum efficiency.

You can take some significant steps such as minimize chemical use to treat the water in cooling towers. It reduces the potential for corrosion, scaling and biological growth, which allows the towers to operate safely at higher concentration ratios. Using SBR water treatment, for instance, reduces cooling tower make-up water by 20% and cooling tower blowdown by 50% with higher cycles of concentration.

Reduce blowdown by automatic monitoring systems:

To minimize scaling and biofouling, some cooling tower operators may increase blowdown water, which in retrospect, ends up causing water loss. It can also increase the possibility of corrosion due to the lower pH levels.

Automatic systems such as SBR water treatment determine the right amount of blowdown water automatically. By carefully monitoring, establishing, and adhering to set points, it can help reduce water waste and sewage, another potentially significant cost savings.

Monitor water levels in cooling towers:

Ballcock-style fill valves that are prone to leakage and frequently get out of adjustment. An additional source of water loss is possible when the fill level is set too high. You can replace the ballcock-style fill valves with more reliable fill valves. You should regularly check the water level to ensure that it is adequately below the overflow outlet to avoid excessive water use.

Use flow meters on make-up and blowdown pipes:

Flow meters are used to check the ratio of makeup flow to blowdown flow. You can install the flow meters on both lines and compare it with the ratio of conductivity of blowdown water and the makeup water. The ratios should match the target cycles of concentration. If that’s not the case, check the cooling tower for leaks or other unauthorized draw-off.

When the system does not function at your target cycles of concentration, check system components along with conductivity controller, makeup water fill valve, and blowdown valve. Keep tracking makeup and blowdown quantities, conductivity, and cycles of concentration to see any performance degradation if it occurred.

Select the right cooling tower water treatment:

To save water, it is vital to select a cooling tower water treatment that cleans the water efficiently and sustainably. A water treatment system selection should be based on the cost to treat make-up water and maintaining a cooling tower to the highest recommended system water cycle of concentration.

At CET-enviro, we offer SBR water treatment, which is a fully automatic online technology that continuously cleans the cooling tower water and augments the cooling performance, and treats cooling water without any chemicals. It uses a green technology that saves water without any unexpected chemical feeds or discharge from the cooling towers.

SBR water treatment enables the ongoing flow of clean quality water, using relatively little water resource and all in an eco-friendly manner. It also decreases the water usage by recycling and reusing it for irrigation while preventing scaling or corrosion build-up in the system, thus cutting down blowdown by 50% and water wastage by 40% – 50%.