SAVING WATER AND ENERGY USING ULTRA FILTRATION AND REVERSE OSMOSIS IN A DYE HOUSE IN WESTERN NEBRASKA, USA

摘要

Running a natural fiber dyeing operation in rural western Nebraska, USA presents some unique environmental and production problems. In this rural area, thermal energy inputs are expensive, and public waste water disposal is non-existent. There are no public water works to supply suitable water; water is pumped from a local well. In this semi-arid climate the scarcity of valuable surface water makes it worthy of conservation efforts. Local, state, and federal waste water regulations are ever present and must be dealt with in the midst of a full production schedule. Hence, we were challenged by the problem of what to do with the hot, high strength, and multi-colored dye waste water that is produced when wool, mohair, and cotton are dyed. Our goal was to find a technology that could concurrently treat the waste water, conserve and recycle the water, save thermal energy, and have no environmental impact. The solution would also have to be within the budgetary constraints of a small business.