Summary:
Water adequacy is one of the major challenges in the world today. Millions of people lack fresh water for domestic, agricultural, and industrial use everyday. This has therefore been a great hindrance to development, especially in countries where agriculture is the main source of food and income. Developing countries are the most affected by this problem, and more so the arid and semi-arid areas[ CITATION Sea07 \l 2057 ]. The few fresh water sources can barely cater for domestic consumption, let alone agriculture. These sources are also threatened with extinction, especially due to over-exploitation.
The overall supply of fresh water on earth cannot meet human demand. About a hundredth of the available fresh water is accessible for human consumption. If the total usable water was to be evenly distributed, it would sustain the entire world population. However, this is not the case, and therefore millions of people are still struggling to acquire the water they need. The people facing water scarcity also have to deal with low quality and often-times unsafe water. Pollution, especially from wastewater, has been a major contributor to the safety issues when it comes to water[ CITATION Law04 \l 2057 ].
There is a lot of water generated from daily activities such as laundry services, bathing, washing, and general cleaning. This water is usually contaminated with dirt, chemicals, and impurities. This water is usually referred to as wastewater. This wastewater can originate from households or industries. The water can be classified as black or white water. Black water is basically sewage water, whereas white water is that which comes from kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms. This water is very unsafe, and thus should never be allowed to come into contact with human beings or animals before being treated.
Recycling is therefore an important process that incorporates the filtering, treatment, and several other processes that get rid of impurities, chemicals, and solids that contaminate water. The recycled water can then be used for several profitable uses, depending on the level of purity it has attained. These uses can range from irrigation of farms to provision of washing water. Although the reuse of wastewater has been going on for several decades, its importance has increased recently due to the increasing demand for water to be used in the various water-demanding activities.
Purpose:
The need for provision of more water to sustain the growing population has been very high of late. The main question is where to get this extra water. The purpose of this proposal is to show the various ways in which wastewater can be collected and recycled to the benefit of humanity. The wastewater will be recycled to produce water that will be used for both domestic and agricultural purposes[ CITATION Fra06 \l 2057 ]. The rest of the water can be supplied to factories for industrial purposes.
Scope:
The plant will be located in a highly populated industrial area. Its wastewater supply will be from factories and households surrounding that area. This will ensure that there is ample supply of the wastewater. Since the plant will be comprehensive, it will generate revenue from the recycled waste, as well as redirect wastewater hauling costs. The clean water generated will be supplied to the surrounding factories and households surrounding the area. With time, however, the plant will be able to supply clean water to people living in areas not so near the factory. This will lead to an increase in market of the recycled water, and as a result, more profits gained.
Problem:
More and more people in the world today have gained the will to use recycled wastewater as an alternative to fresh water. However, effective and affordable wastewater treatment is still beyond reach for many people, especially those living in financially constrained parts of the world. In addition to that, untreated wastewater is quite dangerous if it comes into contact with human bodies, both internally and externally[ CITATION Law04 \l 2057 ]. The impurities and pathogens it contains can be the cause of various skin and respiratory infections.
It is therefore important to come up with possible solutions to these water challenges.
Procedure:
I conducted research on the already available water recycling plants to see how well they do. The information I acquired helped me estimate how much costs I will in incur during the initial set-up of the factory and the subsequent results thereafter. I used the information I acquired to develop findings that are applicable to my proposal. The output levels for materials after recycling of wastewater is demonstrated below.
Findings:
Y-axis
X-axis
NB: Quantities on the Y-axis are in thousands of litres.
The clean water will be supplied to customers, whereas the solid wastes will further be processed into fertilizers and supplied to farmers and
institutions. The metals and plastics can be recycled into useful objects.
Proposal:
The major costs to be incurred will be in the buying of the piece of land to set up the plant ($100,000), total cost of machinery ($2,000,000), worker insurance ($1000 per person), plant insurance ($2,400,000) , and the labour costs for at least 50 workers (@ $ 80 per day). The total initial costs will therefore add up to $5,454,000. The breakdown is demonstrated below:
What I am seeking is funding to set up the plant. The water recycling system will handle the elimination of wastes found in water. The various state of the art equipment acquired will handle the various treatment levels. As a result, the waste will be converted into useful material; the liquid into clean water, and the solid into fertilizer. The recycled water can then be used for irrigating public parks, golf courses, and plantations, and several domestic purposes[ CITATION Sea07 \l 2057 ]. The rest of the water can be cooled for power factories and refineries. It can also be invested in carpet dryers, dust control, and flushing of toilets. The fertilizer can be applied in gardens and on grass.
My experience in waste management processes and ample experience in the field gives me enough qualifications to run the plant. I am also competent in business, thus I can handle business matters related to the business for the time being. I have already assembled a team of experts who have relevant knowledge and experience in the area. They include:
1. A micro-biologist
2. A surveyor
3. A water engineer
4. A water pollution expert.
All we need is the go-ahead, and we will start working immediately. We have agreed to wait for the plant to catch on before any one of us can demand for our working fees.
Survey:
Since the plant would charge the factories a minimum of $.15 per litre of waste, and each factory generates an average of 1000 litres of wastewater per day, the price charged on every factory per day is $150. After recycling, the same amount of water will be sold back to the factory at a cost of $.45 per litre, which will translate to $450 for the whole amount. The use of a broad water recycling program will lead to a generation of revenue in the value of $.15 per litre of recycled water, which would then translate to a net profit of $.30 per litre.
The values above only represent one factory. Moreover, each factory will require at least 5000 litres of clean water for its daily processes.
Therefore, $.30x5000=$1500.
This is the estimated profit per factory per day. Therefore, if 100 plants are supplied with our recycled water, this would translate to an average of $150,000 net profit per day. In a span of 12 months, these gains will have covered the cost of machinery, electricity, labour, and the rest of the operating costs.
When households are added into the plan, our plant would charge them $.05 per litre of waste, and sell the cleaned water back to them at the price of $.10 per litre. This would translate to $.05 net profit per litre of water. If every household consumed an average of 500 litres per day, then the net profit gained from a single household would amount to $25 per day. An average of 100 households would then raise the amount to $2500 per day. Coupled with the profits from the factory supplies, these profits would enable the plant to expand, while at the same time providing clean and affordable water to those who need it. Within a year’s time, the plant will be able to supply farmers, golf courses, and even institutions with the recycled water. With time, we will also be able to supply occupants of arid and semi-arid lands with clean water to help them develop profitable investments.
Time frame:
Once we have received funding, it will take 6 months to acquire land, equipment, the necessary raw materials, and hire labor. Once everything has been acquired, the plant will be set up, all machinery installed, and the plant will begin running. Intense marketing of the plant’s facilities will take place way before the completion of the set-up. This will ensure that, once everything is in place, acquisition of wastewater will take effect immediately so that recycling can take place right away.
Consequences:
Should the plant begin running as proposed, there will be an immediate change to the environment surrounding it. Clean, affordable water will be availed to the surrounding household and factories, as well as a notable reduction in pollution of the surrounding water bodies. Less water wastage will also be in effect, since all wastewater will be directed to the plant, where it will be recycled and supplied back to the surrounding population. Employment will also be provided to the workers of the plant, which will help them improve their living standards.
Conclusion:
Water recycling is the best solution to the areas that lack a constant supply of water. As has been demonstrated, it has the ability to provide a dependable source of water in areas where fresh water is a myth. The use of recycled water can also free fresh water for other more important uses, thus reducing over-dependency and possible over-exploitation of fresh water. A lot of money spent purchasing fresh water for industrial and agricultural processes can also be saved for more profitable investments. When recycled water is used, fresh water is conserved for other uses such as drinking. Moreover, a dependable supply of water is also created when water is recycled. Pollution, especially water and land, is also highly reduced.
References:
Francisco J. Cervantes, S. G. (2006). Advanced biological treatment processes for industrial
wastewaters: principles and applications. London: IWA Publishing.
Lawrence K. Wang, Y.-T. H. (2004). Handbook of Industrial And Hazardous Wastes
Treatment. Chicago: CRC Press.
Liu, S. X. (2007). Food and agricultural wastewater utilization and treatment. New Jersey:
John Wiley and Sons.
