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Industrial Laundry
Industrial Laundry
I N T E R N A T I O N A L , I N C . Case
Study
Industrial Laundry Wastewater Treatment
the Metro/King sewer.
A cost-effective and environmentally-sound solution Wastewater from the laundry
washing and rinsing cycles are
collected in a pit and then
pumped to the sewer. HCSA
Overview installed the VSEP system to allow
A wastewater treatment system the recycling of wastewater back
was installed in July of 1998 at to the laundry process. VSEP is a
Hospital Central Services, a major proprietrary, non-fouling
laundry facility in Seattle, membrane filtration system.
Washington. The system,
manufactured by New Logic The main purpose of the VSEP
International of Emeryville, CA, system is to reduce suspended
will be used for wastewater solids (TSS), oil and grease from
treatment and water recycling at the effluent water for reuse in the
this facility. The VSEP (Vibratory laundry process. This project
Shear Enhanced Processing) summary report describes this
system uses an ultrafiltration application of the VSEP system,
membrane module and is able to discusses the expected process
recycle up to 80 percent of the performance, and presents the
water used at this facility. economic advantages of the
Economics of installing the VSEP process for this application.
system are extremely attractive
and point to a price recovery of System Description
11 months. The City of Seattle
contributed funding via their A block flow diagram for this
“Water Smart Tech. Program” to application of VSEP is shown in
encourage water reclamation. figure 1. This diagram presents the
The VSEP system takes up just 20 overall material balance for the
Application of the VSEP
square feet of floor space and re- laundry facility and illustrates the
membrane technology for quires enough power to drive a 20
treatment and recycling of performance of the VSEP unit as
hp electric motor.
wastewater from large industrial well. The laundry facility
laundry facilities is found to be an provided by the City of Seattle. generally requires a water usage
attractive economic reality. The maximum water usage rate in rate of up to 100 gpm. Upon
the laundry is approximately 100 installation of VSEP, with its ability
gallons per minute with 38 million to recycle clean water to the
Background
gallons of fresh water used laundry machines, fresh water
Hospital Central Services annually. Wastewater from the usage is reduced from 100 gpm
Association (HCSA) operates a laundry process is discharged to to a rate of 30 gpm.
large institutional laundry that
Permeate (Re-used)
provides service to eleven 40 to 80 gpm
scrubs are cleaned at the laundry. Figure 1. Block Flow Diagram Concentrate (to Sewer)
Water used in the laundry is 10-20 gpm
1
NEW LOGIC
I N T E R N A T I O N A L , I N C . Case
Study
The introduction of VSEP for A process schematic for this filter feed pump will always have
effluent treatment makes it application is presented in figure proper head (and a flooded
possible to recycle up to 80 gpm 2. Wastewater from the laundry suction). Float switches are
for reuse in the laundry machines. that had previously been routed provided in the tank to prevent the
Oil and grease and total to the sewer pit is pumped to the pump from running dry.
suspended solids (TSS) are second floor of the laundry where
reduced from 33 ppm and 110 it is routed through a shaker The permeate (filtrate) line out of
ppm to non-detectable levels. screen to remove lint and then the VSEP system will be split into
into a holding tank. At the two separate recycled water pipes;
The total BOD measured in the holding tank, water is withdrawn the flow through each line will be
wastewater is made up of two by the feed pump and pumped controlled by using manual
different constituents: soluble through the VSEP unit. The valves. One line will route
BOD and insoluble BOD. capacity of the shaker screen and recycled water to the tempered
Insoluble BOD is associated with pump at the sewer pit ensure that water tank and the other line will
the suspended solids in the they can produce and handle route water to the cold water tank.
wastewater and would be flows in excess of 100 gpm for The recycled water is expected to
expected to be completely VSEP feed flow rates. have pH of 9.5-10 and a
removed. Soluble BOD, temperature of 90˚F-110˚F. A
associated with dissolved organic The holding tank is plumbed so multi-stage centrifugal pump
material in wastewater, would not that an overflow is routed back to supplies water to the VSEP system
be expected to be changed by the the sewer pit. The volume of the at flows ranging from 50-100 gpm
filtration process. Total BOD is feed tank is 300 gallons and and a variable frequency
reduced from 150 ppm to 70 ppm, provides some equalization electronic drive is provided. This
a reduction of more than 50 capacity for the feed pump. The kind of drive acts to control the
percent. Approximately 90 tank is sized so that water can flow rotational speed of the pump, thus
percent of effluent water can be by gravity from the shaker screen controlling the flow rate.
recovered by treatment with VSEP. to the tank and also so that the
City
Water
V✧SEP
Cold Water
Overflow
Feed
Screenings Tank
Tank
Feed Pump #2
Tempered Water
Tank
Laundry
Process
Feed Pump #1 Overflow
Sewer
Sewer Pit
2
NEW LOGIC
I N T E R N A T I O N A L , I N C . Case
Project Economics Study
The cost of installing and costs that will be saved (due to the concentrations would be high
operating the VSEP system with reduction of water that does not enough to trigger high strength
the related savings that would be need to be heated). Results from waste surcharges. These
realized at different water recycle the operation also point to the surcharges would be offset, to a
rates from reduced water usage additional savings that result from large extent, by the reduced water
and sewer charges has been the reduction in the use of and sewer volume charges that
developed. detergents. The reduced detergent would result from the higher
requirements result from the recycle rates. The concentrations
lowered hardness of water that is at which the high strength waste
accomplished by the VSEP system surcharges start are 300 mg/l for
and from the recycling of a BOD, 400 mg/l for TSS and 100
significant portion of the dissolved mg/l for oil and grease.
detergents with the recycled water
stream.
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NEW LOGIC
I N T E R N A T I O N A L , I N C . Case
Study
Technology and
Applications Clear Permeate Feed