Ask the Expert Question-and-Answer Archive (Wastewater Treatment)

by Mike McGinness, EcoShield Environmental Systems, Inc.
December, 2006

Water Minimization in the Plating Industry

Q. URS is working with Municipal Water District of Orange County (California) on a program to offer rebates to metal finishers that adopt water minimization technologies and demonstrate water reduction in their process over a years time.

Are you aware of any industry sponsored initiatives (outside of the EPA or the Merit Program) that has looked into water use reduction (or the use of recycled water) in the plating industry?

A. I am not aware of any "plating industry only" initiatives. I am sure there have been many initiatives which addressed water conservation in plating and metal finishing, some of which I have run across over the years, but none of them were plating industry only operations. There have been numerous state, regional, local "pollution prevention initiatives" over the years, most of which included water use reduction. Most of them have included a city, or state or university operation with one or more industry trade groups like the STERC, sometimes with an EPA connection of some kind.

The equipment rebate idea for the metal finishing industry may be new. If not, it probably has only been done in small geographical areas with severe long term water supply shortages as a local initiative.

Hope this was of some help to you. I would like to hear more about your plans.

Regards,

Mike McGinness