NOTICE: Get $500 credit towards the purchase of a new cooling tower conductivity controller (Denver metro area customers).  Find out more:

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Reduce Your Water Use!

Free Water Use Survey       Links       Water Saving Tips

The drought in Colorado continues and many water districts are levying surcharges unless water usage is reduced.  Cooling towers are the largest water users in most facilities, so  reducing water usage in these systems can yield a large-percentage water reduction for the entire facility.  

Increasing the cycles of concentration in the cooling tower is possible in most systems with a few minor changes.  Higher cycles reduces blowdown and make up water requirements, and also saves chemical.  The following chart shows the relationship between cycles of concentration and blowdown water flows:

Cycles of Concentration are simply the number of times the cooling tower water is concentrated when compared to make up water.  For example, if your make up water TDS is 500 ppm and your cooling tower TDS is 1500, you are running 3 cycles of concentration.  

Cooling towers that use Denver Water make up can typically save 40% of bleed rates with a relatively simple change in their chemical program.  Savings of 60% or more are attainable with upgraded feed and control equipment.  

Steam boiler water use can also be reduced with the appropriate chemical program and feedwater quality.  Is your boiler blowing down too much?  Not only will you save water and chemicals by reducing blowdown, but fuel savings can easily amount to $40,000++ per year for a 500 HP boiler.

What can your plant save?  Call us now and we'll provide a quick and free analysis of your water use and let you know what savings options are available!

        Call         (303) 293-9862 and ask for help saving water

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To date, we have helped customers save 197 million gallons of water per year!  We have the experience, products, and equipment necessary to help you reduce water and do your part for Colorado's drought conditions.

Water Reduction Tips for Industrial/Commercial Users:

• Is your sand filter backflushing daily or more frequently?  Only backflush when the pressure differential indicates a dirty sand filter.  See your sand filter owner's manual for recommendations.

• If your cooling tower or boiler conductivity is not operating at it's conductivity/TDS setpoint, find out why.  The most common reasons for low conductivity are:

  • Leaking solenoid bleed valves

  • Overflowing cooling towers - check the float or level control!

  • Manual boiler blowdown - poor control over conductivity

  • Leaks within the plant

• How often are you blowing down the boiler?  Ask your service representative for a recommendation.  Systems with high purity or soft water do not require as much blowdown as you may think.

• Is your boiler TDS/Conductivity maximized?  A.S.M.E. guidelines allow for relatively high conductivities providing you have good quality feedwater?  If your feedwater quality is not up to par, we can help get it there!  Ask your service representative for more information.

• Are you losing condensate from your steam boiler.  Repairing condensate leaks not only saves water, but the heat content is very valuable and will reduce your boiler fuel usage.

• Does your closed chilled or hot water loop make up water?  Finding the leak saves water and reduces corrosion and scale in the loop.  We can provide a tracer dye to help locate leaks.  Pump seals and pressure relief valves are common items that leak.  

• Are you using once-through cooling for equipment?  Either convert it to a closed cooling loop or take that water and re-direct it from the drain to another water user (cooling tower).

Links:

Denver Water - drought surcharge information, water quality, water use tips, watering calendar, etc.

Colorado Springs Utilities Water Saver - Reservoir water pictures, water saving tips, etc.

USDA Snowpack information page

Colorado Division of Water Resources - real time stream flows, etc.

US Drought Monitor map