Aqua-Chem Inc. and Enviro-Solutions LLCannounced that initial results from an innovative pilot project with a high-volume U.S. carpet manufacturer demonstrate that it is both practical and economically feasible to simultaneously remove dye and other contaminants from wastewater used in large-scale carpet manufacturing.

Aqua-Chem Inc., a complete water purification solution provider, and Enviro-Solutions LLC, an industrial water treatment equipment and chemical firm, announced that initial results from an innovative pilot project with a high-volume U.S. carpet manufacturer demonstrate that it is both practical and economically feasible to simultaneously remove dye and other contaminants from wastewater used in large-scale carpet manufacturing.

The project, which began last week, shows the companies' process can produce potable quality water, and maintain an 80% recovery rate from wastewater that is typically sent to sewers after the manufacturing process, while also extracting valuable heat from the water for reuse in production at the facility.  

David Gensterblum, president & cEO of Aqua-Chem, said, “We believe this is the first time that dye separation and water purification have been successful as a one-part process for a high-volume manufacturing facility. While the process employed is a major step forward in water conservation for the carpet industry, it also has wide applications for manufacturers in other water-intensive industries. With the ability to recycle at least 80% of their wastewater, manufacturers will conserve millions of gallons of water per year, taking green manufacturing to a whole new level.”

Hub Brown, sales engineer of Enviro-Solutions, added, “The average industrial plant wastes millions of dollars every year in operating costs for water, wastewater, and water treatment chemicals and energy dollars to create the enormous amount of heat needed within the manufacturing process. But it’s not just a cost savings – the process we put in place with Aqua-Chem addresses the need of manufacturers to be more environmentally friendly, and supports both regulatory compliance and the consumer’s desire for green, responsible manufacturing processes.”

Aqua-Chem and Enviro-Solutions said they are preparing to take the process to market and that their production site is ready.