Welcome to the May/June edition of Water Technology magazine. Many engineers believe that oil refining and petrochemical wastewaters are among the most difficult to treat with traditional biological methods. Some success has been realized with activated sludge, but as David Kujawski and John Crittenden explain on page 8, the degree of precise process control required has prompted the investigation of alternative treatment designs. In our cover story, the authors share a groundbreaking pilot study that evaluated the performance capability, OPEX, and CAPEX of electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (eAOP) for the treatment of these difficult wastewaters.
Unconventional oil and gas production has become increasingly efficient and cost-competitive against a backdrop of market uncertainty, heightened regulations, and complex geopolitics. But as Matias Navarro and Mark Nicholson point out on page 12, the management of water has been largely absent from discussions about shale oil and gas productivity growth. In this article, the authors review the water challenges facing the industry, as well as technologies and strategies that will help producers lower freshwater usage and disposal costs in order to better position themselves to compete in the decades to come.
Selenium removal is a process required in many industries, from power generation and oil refining to mining and others. Historically, removing selenium with biological treatment has been a complex and capital-intensive process. But a new method employs physical-chemical techniques that allow the ability to ramp up or down with changes in process flow. Brad Buecker explains the process and its implications on page 16.
Water scarcity is a challenge around the globe and one that impacts not only human consumption but also industrial and commercial usage. Desalination has emerged as a viable technology for supplementing limited freshwater resources but it has its drawbacks, most notably cost. On page 20, Amit Patel discusses IoT technology that offers new ways to improve the performance, reliability, monitoring, and environmental impact of desalination systems, thus realizing efficiency gains to support its use for meeting global water resources challenges.
The Port of San Diego is currently implementing a redevelopment plan to accommodate an increase of the terminal’s capabilities and capacity while minimizing the environmental impacts from terminal operations. Stormwater treatment figures prominently into the design, as Christian Braun explains on page 30. He describes how the Port's commitment to innovative BMP design will enable the capture and treatment of stormwater from a much greater drainage area than the project required.
We've compiled an assortment of products for your consideration, beginning on page 24 with our Product Spotlight on sensors and monitors.
Thanks for reading!
Sincerely,
Angela Godwin
Editorial Director
I welcome your feedback. Email your comments to me at [email protected].
