Case study: Zero Liquid Discharge technology for a textile plant in India

Welcome to the second edition of Hydrotech Engineering's newsletter, where we showcase cutting-edge solutions for water and wastewater treatment and recovery. This edition focuses on a specific case study: Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) technology for a textile plant in India.

The water-thirsty giant

The textile industry is one of the largest consumers of water and a major source of global water pollution. It is estimated to use about 93 billion cubic meters of water annually, which is roughly 4% of all global freshwater extractions. Producing a single textile garment requires substantial amounts of water: over 2500 liters for a cotton T-shirt, 9750 liters for a sheet, and 10850 liters for a pair of jeans.

On average, the textile industry is responsible for up to 20% of global drinking water pollution, releasing 0.5 million tons of fibers into the seas each year. This severe environmental impact has led governments to implement measures to mitigate the industry’s effects.

Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) technology

One effective solution to reduce the environmental impact of the textile industry is to recycle wastewater and reintroduce it into various industrial processes. This is made possible through ZLD technology, which allows for 100% water recycling.

Zero Liquid Discharge involves a set of technologies designed to minimize wastewater production, resulting in a concentrated solid product that can be used, sold, or safely disposed of, and high-quality purified water that can be reused or safely released into the environment.

Hydrotech Engineering’s leading ZLD technology

Hydrotech Engineering’s ZLD technology is the most competitive and versatile on the market, thanks to its modular process that adapts to both small plants (treating about 50m3/h) and large plants (about 1000m3/h).

Today, Hydrotech Engineering is a leader in total effluent recovery, having built nearly 40 turnkey plants for the textile industry. Each year, our technology helps recover over 40,000,000 m3 of water. Companies in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh that utilize our solutions supply fabrics, garments, and household textiles to the top 5 global retailers.

Benefits of ZLD technology

Industries adopting ZLD technology benefit from:

• Reduced wastewater production: most wastewater is recovered through reverse osmosis and reused in industrial processes;
• Greater sustainability: enhanced environmental respect and sustainability;
• Economic advantages: Hydrotech Engineering offers the best technology with approximately 45% lower operating costs than competitors;
• Reduced footprint: the compactness of Hydrotech Engineering’s plants allows for increased production even in limited spaces.

Case Study: turnkey plant with ZLD technology for one of the largest textile manufacturers in India

Hydrotech Engineering has developed a turnkey wastewater treatment and recovery plant for one of the largest textile manufacturers in India. Over the years, the client has entrusted Hydrotech Engineering with the development of an additional five plants, which today collectively treat approximately 22,200 m3 of wastewater.

The Challenges

• ZLD Technology: implementation of Zero Liquid Discharge technology.
• Performance guarantees: ensuring stable performance measured over years.
• Lowest operational costs: efficiency in recovery, energy consumption, membrane lifespan, and chemical usage.

The Drivers

• Highly reliable plant: essential for heavy production impact.
• Minimal overall ownership costs: operational expenses (OPEX) have a significant impact on textile ZLD applications.

The Solution

An existing conventional effluent treatment plant (ETP) was upgraded with:

• Multimedia Filtration (MMF)
• Ultrafiltration (UF)
• Softening and De-alkalization (Soft & De-Alk)
• Multi-stage Reverse Osmosis (RO), ensuring a 92.5% recovery rate

Plant details

• Customer: one of the largest textile manufacturers in India
• Country: India
• Year: 2015
• Solutions: turnkey wastewater treatment plant (WWTP)
• Application: ZLD technology
• Wastewater treatment process: Multimedia Filtration (MMF), Ultrafiltration (UF), Softening and De-alkalization (Soft & De-Alk), Multi-stage Reverse Osmosis (RO)
• Feed water: textile effluent (fabrics)
• Customer needs: wastewater to discharge and maximum wastewater recovery
• Capacity: 8400 m3/day

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