Significant Cost Savings with Reuse
A Case Study

ProChem Saves Customer $70,000 in Water and Sewer Fees

The Customer
A major automotive parts manufacturer that generated wastewater containing lead, palladium, zinc, copper, chromium and nickel wanted to achieve zero wastewater discharge.

The Problem
The facility was having difficulty treating the 200,000 gallons of wastewater per day and meeting new discharge permit limits

The ProChem Solution
Through evaluation, including bench scale testing and on-site pilot testing, ProChem confirmed the feasibility of a water reuse program and selective ion-exchange program.

The Win
The system successfully removed multiple metals, achieving complete water reuse (zero discharge) with a complete return on investment in less than one year. The deionization columns were regenerated at the ProChem permitted facility, providing the customer with a low maintenance, turn-key solution. The customer saved approximately $70,000 in water and sewer fees. Additionally, since ProChem designed and built the system, thousands of dollars were saved on engineering and consulting fees. The customer received the following additional benefits:

  • A significant reduction in labor.
  • The elimination of heavy metal sludge generation and disposal.
  • The elimination of permit violations and reporting.
  • The elimination of hazardous wastewater treatment chemicals and regeneration chemicals.
  • A significant reduction in regulatory paperwork.