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Reuse of an Industrial Wastewater at Saturn

by Mark Barnett, Univ of Tennessee, Knoxville, United States,
Bruce Robinson, Univ of Tennessee, Knoxville, United States,
Bruce Tschantz, Univ of Tennessee, Knoxville, United States,
Richard Lambert, Univ of Tennessee, Knoxville, United States,
Gary Lessman, Univ of Tennessee, Knoxville, United States,
Robert von Bernuth, Univ of Tennessee, Knoxville, United States,
Bill Miller, Univ of Tennessee, Knoxville, United States,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Environmental Engineering

Abstract:

The cooling tower at General Motor's Saturn Plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee will produce blowdown wastewater at rates as high as 500,000 gallons (1893 m³/day). This wastewater is currently discharged to the Columbia POTW, resulting in significant wastewater disposal costs, as much as $100,000 per year, and reduction of sewer capacity. In a joint study, the University of Tennessee and Saturn Corporation performed a feasibility study for several alternatives proposed for managing the blowdown water. The recommended alternative was treatment of the blowdown water on site in a constructed wetlands, and, supplemented with plant stormwater runoff, spray irrigation of crops farmed by Saturn. The advantages of such a system include: water conservation, improved crop yields, elimination of wastewater disposal charges, minimization of stormwater impact on the environment, conservation of sewer capacity and demonstrated public commitment to the solution of environmental problems.

Subject Headings: Water conservation | Water treatment | Cooling (wastewater treatment) | Water supply | Water resources | Cooling towers | Water supply systems | Tennessee | United States

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