The integrated water conservation program at Sandia National Laboratories
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), located on Kirkland Air Force Base (KAFB) in Albuquerque, NM, is implementing a comprehensive water conservation program. Because the average rainfall in this metropolitan area of 500,000 is approximately 8 inches per year, conservation of this precious resource is critical to the economic health of the city and state, and the continued operations at SNL/NM. To address this need, SNL/NM is taking a systematic, comprehensive approach to water conservation. The approach is to estimate the water consumption for all of SNL/NM by type of consumption. For each type of water consumption, all cost effective measures for reducing, reclaiming, and/or recycling that usage will be ranked. These water conservation measures range from the simple such as retrofitting plumbing fixtures with low cost devices to reduce water required to flush toilets to the very complex. As an example of the very complex, a Microelectronics Development Laboratory (MDL) lab will implement a near zero water discharge from clean room wet benches. Deionized (DI) water can be sent back to the DI water input generation stream when the DI water is not being used for rinsing wafers. This paper discusses completed, ongoing and proposed projects at SNL/NM to reduce water consumption and recycle water to maximize its use, and how water conservation has resulted in energy savings, reductions in wastewater discharges, reductions in water treatment chemicals, and reduction in hazardous waste. Additionally the paper discusses preparation of SNL/NM`s Water Conservation Plan, and solutions to overcoming programmatic and bureaucratic hurdles to achieve reductions in water use, wastewater discharges, chemical use and energy.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Assistant Secretary for Management and Administration, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 663334
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-97-1403C; CONF-970854-; ON: DE98000209; BR: YN0100000; TRN: AHC29818%%171
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 13. pollution prevention conference, Atlanta, GA (United States), 26-28 Aug 1997; Other Information: PBD: 22 Aug 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Institutional impediments to using alternative water sources in thermoelectric power plants.
Intensified Flue Gas Desulfurization Water Treatment for Reuse, Solidification, and Discharge