Water Conservation and Reuse Case Study in Pharmaceutical Industry

A pharmaceutical company in Puerto Rico was facing some uncertainty in the sustainability of its water supply for new drug products. The plant relies primarily on the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) water supply for an average of 134,000 gallons per day. Groundwater was impacted by saltwater intrusion and adjacent property contamination. The company wanted to develop a water management plan to reduce reliance on the PRASA water supply in this highly developed industrial/commercial area.A water conservation and reuse study was conducted using a collaborative approach and project team. A study approach was developed and utilized to develop a site-wide water balance which was used to evaluate several alternatives to conserve and reused water. A recommended phase was developed to reduce reliance on the PRASA water supply by 80 percent and achieve the sustainability goals and objectives.