DuPont Textiles and Interiors (DTI) and USFilter have entered into a 15-year
outsourcing agreement for process
water services and capital improvements. As part of the agreement, USFilter will build, own and operate the new 3,000 gallon-per-minute (gpm) high purity
water treatment system.
"This partnership between USFilter and DTI is a win-win situation for both companies," said Bruce Chinn, Site Manager. "DTI benefits from USFilter''s state-of-the-art technology with no capital investment."
Due to an aging
water treatment system,
DuPont began exploring alternative technologies and
water treatment operations. For several years, DuPont and USFilter engineers worked closely to develop a water treatment solution to:
· provide higher quality water on a more consistent basis;
· reduce total dissolved
solids, suspended solids and
nitrate discharged to the local river by 460,000 pounds per year;
· reduce lime solids to solid
waste landfill by 1.6 million pounds per year;
· reduce monthly
operating costs; and
· increase reliability of system through use of advanced technology.
In order to meet these objectives, USFilter offered a sophisticated technology and
water management solution for the Victoria site. First, water is drawn from DuPont''s water basin, which is fed by the Guadalupe River, and pretreated using Memcor® continuous
microfiltration (CMF) technology. Next, the high quality water is fed to a
reverse osmosis system, which replaces the facility''s existing hot lime softening process. Finally, the purified water is further softened and distributed to
boilers as feedwater and other
production areas within the facility.
DTI''s commitment to a clean, safe and healthy
environment is reflected in the new water treatment process. The CMF and
reverse osmosis systems eliminate the need to handle and store large volumes of
chemicals. Also, by eliminating the old hot lime softening system, the facility is able to reduce its waste by 1.6 million pounds per year.
"With our unique combination of technology offering and water treatment expertise, we were able to bring DTI lowered costs, increased operational efficiency and the latest technology at no capital cost," said Andy
Seidel, president, USFilter. "DTI''s decision to partner with USFilter on this important project illustrates the increasing need for unique and creative technology and operations solutions."
The DTI facility located in Victoria, Texas produces intermediate
chemicals for the production of
nylon fiber. The facility produces 20 percent of the world''s
nylon intermediate and 50 percent of the nylon intermediate used in Stainmaster® carpet.