Issues with domestic water use in chemical plants
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I would like to ask xdjm who works at the chemical plant: where does the drinking water come from?
The drinking water in chemical plants generally comes from the municipal water supply (i.e., tap water), or from shallow wells that provide water for the plant itself.
Drinking water generally comes from urban water supply systems, or other sources that meet drinking water standards, such as well water from areas with good water quality or water that has been treated using reverse osmosis or other purification devices.
For a project I’m aware of that is under construction, it is allowed to use water from its own wells for domestic use, but the daily extraction volume is strictly controlled. Industrial water requires long-distance transportation; where possible, water from municipal supply networks can be used.
In factories of average size, drinking water is supplied by the water utility company, as self-provisioning often poses safety and hygiene issues. For large enterprises or those located far from urban areas, they have their own facilities for treating water for domestic use; in some cases this water is groundwater, while in other cases it is surface water that is treated through coagulation, sedimentation, and filtration. A portion of this treated water is disinfected to be used as drinking water, while the rest is used for industrial purposes.
Our company is located far from the city center. At first, we dug wells on our own, and all the water used in the factory came from groundwater. Now, we have jointly invested with ** to install a tap water supply. To be honest, before we had tap water, I would bring water from home to the office to drink; now that’s not necessary anymore.
There are three sources of potable water for chemical plants: first, municipal tap water; second, groundwater obtained from wells drilled on the premises of the factory. It is necessary to use water from deep layers, as even after treatment, some pollutants still leak into the factory area and contaminate the groundwater. As a result, surface water becomes polluted and is not suitable for use as drinking water； Third is surface water such as river water or lake water near chemical plants. Municipal water, after being treated, can be used directly with little issue. Water taken from rivers and lakes, as long as it is not heavily polluted, only requires simple treatment (coagulation, disinfection) before it can be used ； Groundwater obtained from one’s own wells requires strict treatment; reverse osmosis combined with activated carbon is even better.
Municipal tap water is the best choice; drinking water is crucial for everyone’s health, and municipal water supplies are subject to strict regulations.
The drinking water in our company is produced by the water treatment station; it is the output from first-stage reverse osmosis, followed by disinfection with chlorine dioxide. There are filters and ultrafiltration ahead.
If possible, use tap water; if not, use groundwater. . . .
Deep well water, probably about 400 meters deep
We use water from deep wells, which are about 500 meters deep.