By ensuring up to 90 per cent of process water is recycled, CDE’s AquaCycle system works to minimise costly water consumption.
It’s incomprehensible to most. The notion that regions around the globe face issues arising from water stress on a planet whose surface area is made up of over 70 per cent water and whose total water volume – a staggering 96.5 per cent – is contained within oceans.
Whether for consumption or sanitation, clean water in some parts of the world is taken for granted, as society fails to recognise the processes and infrastructure needed to maintain a clean water supply.
CDE recognises that the benefits arising from sustainable water practice and processes are two-fold: they are economically advantageous and minimise environment impacts.
Indeed, they are green from both perspectives.
Innovations in the washing sector and the continued advancement of CDE’s pioneering wet processing solutions are supporting waste, quarry and materials processors to overcome the challenges stemming from water management; cost-based, efficiency, sustainability and regulatory.
CDE’s modular wet processing equipment can contribute to the easing of water scarcity issues arising from the materials processing industry’s consumption of water resources, while greatly improving water efficiency and wastewater management practices.
Developing technological solutions to tackle these mounting challenges is paramount for many materials processors seeking to boost the profitability of their operation by minimising the consumption of costly water resources.
Daniel Webber, CDE Regional Manager for Australasia, reports increasing regulations governing the responsible use and management of water in the industry, including those aimed at protecting marine environments and water sources from pollution.
Webber explains that the Australian mining industry has adapted to more regulations surrounding its water usage than most other industries.
“Each stage of the mining cycle requires permits, including, among other utilities, water permits,” he says.
“The impact of an operation is also subject to strenuous environmental assessments to evaluate the management and use of water resources and the processes that will be employed to prevent the contamination of groundwater.”
In terms of sector, agriculture remains the largest user of water in Australia, accounting for almost 70 per cent of total water footprint.
Industry, however, including waste, mining and quarrying, is on the rise at a time when water storage levels hit a 10-year low in 2019/20. CDE consistently invests in research and development with the aim of enhancing the capabilities of its premier water recycling and management equipment.
At the forefront of its water recycling systems is the AquaCycle, a single, compact and user-friendly unit that can be applied to high and low tonnages across many markets.
Delivering competitive advantage to its customers, CDE’s AquaCycle accelerates return on investment by maximising production efficiency, minimising the loss of valuable fines, and reducing water and energy costs.
An alternative to water extraction and the costly process of pumping water to the plant, CDE’s AquaCycle is a highly efficient water management solution that minimises costly water consumption by ensuring up to 90 per cent of process water is recycled for immediate recirculation.
After feed material has been washed and classified, waste is sent to the AquaCycle thickener tank. Here, a small amount of polyelectrolyte flocculant is added to the water via an automatic dosing station which forces fine particles to settle on the bottom of the thickener tank.
The clean water on the top overflows the weir and is stored in the AquaStore tank before being re-circulated around the plant.
The result is a highly efficient water recycling system that requires only a 10 per cent supply of top-up water.
Webber explains that water management systems are becoming a must-have for waste, mine and quarry operations to comply with environmental regulations. Matters concerning the protection of finite resources on the planet will only become more prevalent, too.
“Water management and water recycling are prevalent issues that will only become more tightly regulated and monitored in years to come,” he says.
The AquaCycle ensures operators stay ahead of the curve while extracting maximum value from available resources and driving down operating costs.”
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