Blog

by: Anna Claire Howard
03/07/2022

5 Ways to Conserve Water and Reduce Water Waste in Process Industries



In 2022, a common goal among all industries is to support sustainable operations and embrace the green movement. For the process industries like ethanol and pulp & paper, environmental stewardship begins with decreasing or even eliminating water waste and ultimately results in energy conservation.

Packing installation
Pump packing installation in a paper mill

Where Does Water Waste Occur?

According to a recent article on plantservices.com, one area with immense potential to leak water is in the stuffing box or seal chamber. While this may seem like just a small amount of loss, it can build up over time and result in costly amounts of wasted water and unnecessarily increased energy consumption.

How Can You Reduce Water Waste in Process Industries?

“Focusing on five areas may help prevent this loss, decrease energy, and maximize equipment uptime,” said the Plant Services article states. It also discusses water-saving procedures and best practices that prevent millions of gallons of waste per year.

As mentioned in the article, the five ways your team can conserve water and decrease energy use are as follows:

  1. Precision installation of the ideal packing
  2. Precision installation of the ideal mechanical seal
  3. Appropriate flush arrangement and ideal barrier/flush fluid
  4. Packing maintenance and reloading with the gland over time
  5. Add a shaft-stabilizing bushing
Ethanol sealing system
New seal system on an ethanol pump

Case Studies

Water is critical for almost any application in the process industries — from oil and gas production to food and beverage and beyond.

Brewer includes two case studies in the plantservices.com article that illustrate the risks and cost of allowing water to leak, causing waste and many other costly issues.

Read the complete article on plantservices.com for an in-depth look into these five ways to reduce water waste in process industries.

About the Author
Anna Claire Howard is a contributing writer, editor, and content marketing specialist for Sealing Equipment Products Co. Inc. (SEPCO) and has been since Spring 2019. Before those two big life changes, she was the content marketing specialist for Fluke Accelix; assistant editor for Grand View Outdoors, publisher of Bowhunting World, Predator Xtreme, Whitetail Journal, Tactical Retailer, and Shooting Sports Retailer; managing editor for Media Solutions, Inc., publisher of Gear Solutions, Wind Systems, and Thermal Processing magazines; assistant editor for MSI; and the editorial intern for B.A.S.S., LLC, publisher of Bassmaster Magazine and Bassmaster.com. In these B2B/B2C roles, Anna Claire developed an appreciation for the industrial sector, as well as the operators and technicians who make up the workforce. You can find her on LinkedIn at bit.ly/ACHowardLI.

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