USING RECLAIMED WATER FOR HIGH-TECH INDUSTRY

Through the implementation of a full-scale project at Toppan Electronics, the City of San Diego is demonstrating the feasibility of using reclaimed water as process water in high-tech industries. Toppan Electronics produces networking circuit boards for leading companies in the computer industry. To compete in this market, Toppan Electronics operates on a 24/7 schedule to maintain profits and a continuous source of process water is mandatory. As an alternative to potable water serving as process water, reclaimed water is being treated to meet the stringent demands of the process water used in the circuit board industry. Pall Corporation's microfiltration unit has operated for 6 months on the reclaimed water with out a decrease in membrane permeability, producing an effluent consistently below 0.05 NTU. The reverse osmosis process, after addressing some start-up issues with chemical addition, has been successfully operating on the filtrate from the microfiltration unit with an operational run of over 3 months with minimal loss of membrane permeability. Lab analysis of water samples from the treatment train illustrates the high water quality that can be obtained treating reclaimed water. This project has demonstrated that reclaimed water can be treated successfully to meet the water quality needs of the high-tech industry.