Dear Adriana, from the ...
Published by Wolf-Dieter Rausch
Dear Adriana,
from the ethical and environmental point of view the request is 0 discharge without max possible treatment neither in the sewer system nor in the surface water body.
1. step: Optimisation of production process with reducing the waste as max as possible.
2. step: Recycle whatever is possible
3. step: Finally what is left for disposal need to be treated with cutting edge technologies
As a designer it is your responsibility to find the best composition of the 3 steps mentioned above and your ethical and environmental responsibility is at least on the same level as the budget.
No law or standard will remove that responsibility from your shoulders and your heart.
The maximal possible is your target not the lowest standards.
Regards Wolf
1 Comment
Wolf, these are laudable aims and of course waste minimisation at source is always sensible. However, it is simply nonsense to suggest that "the maximal possible is your target" and to recommend "cutting edge technologies". The appropriate approach used to be called BATNEEC - that is "best available technology not entailing excessive cost".
Adriana, Talk to the sewerage operator about your discharge and establish from them what they can accept and treat to an appropriate standard. Many pharmaceutical effluents are highly biodegradable and they will willingly accept the discharge without treatment (but charge you for doing so!) They can often treat more efficiency and effectively than a private industrial effluent treatment plant. Alternatively it may be economical for you to install a roughing treatment on your site. If there are toxic or non-biodegradable elements in the effluent, they can discuss and agree appropriate pre-treatment.
Published by Jeremy Biddle, Engineering Director at Bluewater Bio