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Treatment techniques for the recycling of bottle washing water

in the soft drinks industry

Article  in  Water Science & Technology · February 2004

DOI: 10.2166/wst.2004.0101 · Source: PubMed

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Water reuse for the bottled water industry

Water Science and Technology: Water Supply Vol 5 No 1 pp 101–107 © IWA Publishing 2005
E. Ramírez Camperos*, L. Cardoso Vigueros*, V. Escalante Estrada*, A. Gómez Navarrete*,
A. Rivas Hernández* and E. Díaz Tapia**
* Mexican Institute of Water Technology, Paseo Cuauhnahuac 8532, Col. Progreso, Jiutepec, Morelos,
México, C.P. 62500 (E-mail: eramirez@tlaloc.imta.mx)
** Coordinacion Industrial Mexicana S.A de C.V. Embotelladora de Toluca, S.A. de C.V.Paseo Adolfo Lopez
Mateos 124, Zinacantepec, Edo de Mexico, México

Abstract The bottled water industry uses a machine specifically designed for the washing of its containers
(19-L capacity) and generates 6-L wastewater/container. This effluent can be used for watering of green
areas and car washing. The objectives of the present work were to characterize the effluent and to propose a
specific treatment to enable reuse of the effluent from the container washing machine. The analysis of water
quality identified the following problems: high pH (10.0), high biochemical oxygen demand (50 mg/L), high
concentration of free residual chlorine (3.15 mg/l), alkalinity (207 mg/l as CaCO3) and hardness (38.8 mg/l
as CaCO3). These parameters must be reduced in order to comply with the Mexican standards for water
reuse (NOM-003-ECOL-1997), and to protect the washing equipment against corrosion and incrustations.
The water can be used for the watering of green areas after pH adjustment and Biological Oxygen Demand
(BOD5) removal. If special equipment is used for car washing, it is necessary to reduce the concentration of
calcium and magnesium using a strong cationic resin. Following these recommendations the specific
industry installed a treatment system with pH adjustment, dual filtration (sand-anthracite) and adsorption
system with activated carbon. The effluent is now used for watering of green areas and for car washing with
garden hoses.
Keywords Car washing; container washing; green area watering; purified water; water reuse

Introduction
The demand for purified water for daily consumption in Mexico increases every day, due to
the fact that water cannot be drunk directly from the water distribution network. The pro-
duction and sales of purified water is 5,600,000 m3 per year (INEGI, 1999). Water is sold in
containers of different sizes; the 19-liter size is the most common for home consumption.
The bottling industry uses 19-liter reusable plastic containers for the distribution and sell-
ing of purified water. The company itself picks up the reusable containers and returns them
to be washed and refilled with purified water. A machine specifically designed for this pur-
pose performs the container washing. The washing consists of four cycles: a pre-wash at
room temperature; a wash with detergent at 80°C; a disinfecting wash, which consists of a
wash with chlorine; and a final rinse. Once the washing is done, they are transferred to the
filling area and subsequently to the final inspection area. The water that is consumed during
the container washing is discharged without any further use. Even though this water con-
tains detergents and chemical products used during the washing, it could be used for other
purposes before its final discharge. The aim of this study is to measure and characterize the
principal discharge obtained from the container washing machine and provide recommen-
dations for its reuse in watering of green areas and car washing.

Methods and materials

The analysis and characterization of the discharge were carried out in a bottling plant dur-
ing a one-month period. Samples were taken from 8:00 to 23:00, which was considered
enough time to obtain representative samples from the three washing shifts, and to cover 101
 the changes in the detergents and disinfectants used. The water obtained from the overall
machine washing after its weekend maintenance was also characterized. The samples were
taken directly at the exit of the water from the washing machine. Flow measurement was
performed every hour.
In order to characterize the container washing machine discharge water, simple and
compound samples were taken for the following parameters: flow, pH, temperature,
electrical conductivity, residual free chlorine, color, turbidity, greases and oils, biochemi-
E. Ramírez Camperos et al.

cal oxygen demand (BOD5), chemical oxygen demand (COD), detergents, settleable
solids, total suspended solids (SST), total phosphorus, total nitrogen, faecal coliforms, total
hardness, carbonate hardness, total alkalinity, phenolphthalein alkalinity and sulfate. In
order to comply with the requirements of NOM-003-ECOL-1997, metals and cyanide were
analyzed at the beginning and end of the study. Since cations were present in the above-
mentioned products, the cation analysis was also carried out.

Results and discussion

The washing machine discharge water had an average flow of 3.0 l/s with a standard devia-
tion of 0.42 l/s, equivalent to a 14% variation. The discharge flow is constant during the
washing period, variations are observed when the machine is stopped, either for a shift
change, minor repair, or addition of a certain reagent, which generally diminishes the flow.
The container washing effluent has an average pH of 10 units and a standard deviation of
0.369 units and a variation coefficient of 3.67%. This high pH value is due to the alkaline
detergents used. The mean temperature of the container washing effluent was 31.2°C, with a
standard deviation of 0.94 units and a variation coefficient of 3.05%. The temperature pres-
ents a variation after the tank cleaning. Turbidity was on the average 9.86 UTN with a stan-
dard deviation of 2.13 units and a variation coefficient of 21.7%. This parameter is due to the
presence of suspended solids and other contaminants present in a suspended or colloidal
form in the washing water. The color has an average of 46.27 Pt-Co units, with a standard
deviation of 23.98 units and a variation coefficient of 51.82%. The color is mainly due to the
light yellow color of the applied reagents and also as a result of the solids that might be
removed from the containers during the washing. The free chlorine average was 3.15 mg/l,
with a standard deviation of 0.54 units and a variation coefficient of 17.15%. Chlorine is a
substance found in the disinfecting products used and also is added to the sanitation tank as
sodium hypochlorite. The discharge variability is produced when a new chlorine compound
is added or a spill occurs in the sodium hypochlorite tank. When this occurs, the concentra-
tion of residual free chlorine is from 4 to 6 mg/l. If chlorine is not added to the washing cycle,
it will be depleted. Table 1 shows the average characteristics of the washing effluent.
The average electrical conductivity in the container washing water was 806 µS/cm,
which is equivalent to 403 mg/l of total dissolved solids, a standard deviation of 66.6 units
and a variation coefficient of 26%. This conductivity is mainly due to sulfate, chloride,
sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium ions present in the sanitizing products.
The average concentration of greases and oils was between 2 and 4.68 mg/l, however,
extreme values as low as 0.1 mg/l and as high as 10 mg/l can be observed. These values
could not be related to a specific event.
The average biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) was 50 mg/l with a standard deviation
of 21.07 mg/l and a variation of 42%. Extreme values were obtained from 1.8 mg/l up to
96 ml/g. Daily average values of Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5) vary from 22.7 mg/l
to 91.5 mg/l, and surpass the maximum allowed limit that NOM-003-ECOL-1997 requires
for water reuse in direct contact services.
The COD fluctuated between 276 mg/l and 426.75 mg/l, this value is higher than the
102 BOD5, which points out that the washing water contains low biodegradable compounds
Table 1 Average characteristics of the washing effluent

Parameter Average Range NOM -003 ECOL -1997

Flow 3 l/s (259.2 m3/d) 3.2–1.26 l/s

pH 10 8.2–11.1 5–10
Temperaturewater (°C) 31.2 20.45–38 40
Turbidity (NTU) 9.86 1–67
Color (Pt-Co units) 46.3 2–348

E. Ramírez Camperos et al.

Residual free chlorine (mg/l) 3.15 7.5–0.02
Electrical conductivity (µS/cm) 806 2,900–163
Greases and oils (mg/l) 3.2 0.1–10 15
BOD5 (mg/l) 50.1 1.8–96 20
COD (mg/l) 346 276–426
TSS (mg/l) 15 4–44 20
Settleable solids (ml/l) <0.5 ml/l 1
Detergents (mg/l) 0.397 0.20–0.61
Total nitrogen (mg/l) 2.0 0.9–3.5 15
Total phosphorus (mg/l) 0.2 0.12–0.23 5
Total alkalinity (mg/l as CaCO3) 207 179–242
Total hardness(mg/l as CaCO3) 38.8 37.4–41.3
Sulfate (mg/l) 8.33 6.98–9.0
Sodium (mg/l) 54.07–59.02
Magnesium (mg/l) 2.24–5.86

that are probably substances contained in the different products used during the container
washing.
The total suspended solids of washing water varied from 4 to 44 mg/l. The average was
15 mg/l. The washing water presented settleable solids lower than 0.5 ml/l during the sam-
pling period.
The detergents used for the container washing are biodegradable and in a concentration
between 0.201 and 0.615 mg/l in the washing water.
Total nitrogen varied between 0.9 and 3.5 mg/l. Total phosphorus appears in low con-
centrations in all samples and in a range of 0.12 a 0.23 mg/l.
Container washing water alkalinity was high and varied between 242 and 149 mg/l
CaCO3. Water hardness fluctuated between 37 and 41 mg/l CaCO3. Magnesium was
present in the products and its concentration in the washing effluent fluctuated between 9
and 24 mg/l CaCO3. Sulfates were found in the washing water in a concentration of 6.98 to
9.26 mg/l. Neither heavy metals nor faecal coliforms were found in the analyzed samples.

Container washing effluent reuse

The container washing effluent has an average flow of 6 L/container, which is to be used in
car washing and in watering of parks and gardens. According to NOM-003-ECOL-1997
(SEMARNAT, 1977), that establishes the maximum allowed limits of contaminants in
reuse, these two uses are considered public services with direct contact, and must comply
with certain quality parameters. Table 1 shows the comparisons of the average parameters
obtained in the container washing water effluent as requested by the Mexican guidelines.
The container washing water effluent complies with all quality criteria required for reuse,
except for the Biological Oxygen Demand, thus, treatment is required in order to lower this
parameter to standard required levels.
In order to protect the ground in the case of using it for watering green areas and to pro-
tect vehicles when they are washed, the control of other parameters is required: pH 6.5–9.0,
free chlorine 10 mg/l, electrical conductivity <750 µs/cm and the relation of sodium-
adsorption 10 (Tisdale et al., 1977). The water can be used in the watering of parks and
gardens after receiving treatment for pH adjustment and BOD5 removal. 103
 Car washing water requirements
Langelier and Ryznar indices for the container washing effluent. The container washing
effluent is characterized by a pH of 10, a high alkalinity of approximately 259 mg/l as
CaCO3 and the presence of calcium and magnesium carbonates. For this reason the
Langelier and Ryznar indices were calculated to determine if water has a tendency to cause
corrosion or incrustations on the surfaces that are in contact with water. For example, prob-
lems of this nature can occur with the high-pressure pipelines of car washing equipment or
E. Ramírez Camperos et al.

on the protective coating of the car’s surface. If the obtained Langelier index value is nega-
tive, it indicates that the system is undersaturated with CaCO3 and water has a tendency
toward corrosion. If a positive result is obtained the system is oversaturated with CaCO3
and its tendency is to form CaCO3 precipitates or incrustations. If the value of the differ-
ence is zero, the system is in equilibrium (Faust et al., 1998). The Langelier Index for the
water studied is +3, which means that water can form incrustations over the contact surface.
The system’s balanced pH is 7.92, which is the reason why water pH should be adjusted to
7.5–8.0 in order to avoid carbonate dissolution and incrustations. The Ryznar Index is 4.92,
which classifies the container washing effluent as highly scale forming.

Treatment process
Water reuse for green areas and car washing requires pH adjustment and BOD5 removal. If
washing is done using a pressurized or specialized system, calcium and magnesium ions
must be eliminated to avoid scale formation on washing equipment. The treatment of water
for reuse can be accomplished by the following processes in order to comply with the
Mexican standards.

Process 1. pH adjustment, dual filtration (sand-anthracite) and adsorption over activated carbon
Components: A storage tank with mechanical or hydraulic agitation is suggested for water
treatment, in order to promote free chlorine desorption and facilitate the mixing during the
addition of reagents for pH adjustment. The pH adjustment can be done with carbon diox-
ide, which is available in the bottling plant or with sulfuric acid. Next, water would pass
through a sand-anthracite dual filter for removal of suspended solids and 30% BOD5 pres-
ent in the washing effluent. The 30% BOD5 removal from the washing effluent does not
completely guarantee the standards for this type of use, which is 20 mg/l. For this reason, an
activated carbon adsorption is required. This treatment scheme is shown in Figure 1.

WASHING
WATER

RETENTION
TANK
WASHING
MACHINE

pH EFFLUENT
ADJUSTMENT

DUAL ADSORPTION
FILTRATION
WATERING
GREEN
AREAS

CAR
WASHING
104 Figure 1 Treatment scheme for water reuse in watering green areas and car washing with garden hoses
Process 2. pH adjustment – coagulation – flocculation – direct filtration in a mixed bed of
sand-anthracite
This treatment process would allow a 100% fulfillment of the quality parameters required
by the standards. Coagulation–flocculation would permit the removal of suspended and
colloidal matter, helping in the removal of detergents and other particles found in the con-
tainer washing effluent, and that cannot be completely removed when using the filtration
directly.

E. Ramírez Camperos et al.

Process 3. pH adjustment– filtration in a mixed bed of sand – anthracite adsorption over activated
carbon – cationic exchange
This treatment process is required in case special equipment is used for car washing, in
order to prevent scale formation and obstruction. The cationic exchange using a strong
cationic resin in the Na cycle will reduce the calcium and magnesium concentration that
can be deposited on the washing equipment. The treatment scheme is shown in Figure 2.

The selected treatment process

The process was selected after the laboratory tests and the confirmation that the treatment
processes recommended comply with the Mexican standards for reuse. Chlorine is added to
the retention tank to avoid bacterial contamination during the storage and reuse of the con-
tainer washing water. The investment costs and expected savings from implementing water
reuse in this industry are shown in Table 2.
The three treatment systems proposed allow a savings between 73% and 64% of the cost
of water that the industry uses for watering green areas and car washing.

Application of the technology

Following these recommendations the particular company installed the process number1.
Treatment system with pH adjustment, dual filtration (sand-anthracite) and adsorption sys-
tem with activated carbon. This treatment process was chosen due to its low investment,
WASHING
WATER

WASHING
∞
MACHINE RETENTION CAR WASHING
pH TANK MACHINE
ADJUSTMENT

DUAL EFFLUENT
FILTRATION

ADSORPTION CATION
EXCHANGE

Figure 2 Treatment scheme for water reuse in car washing with special equipment

Table 2 Investment costs and savings of the proposed process for reuse in the bottled water industry

Parameter Process 1 Process 2 Process 3

Investment cost (US dollars) 72,000 70,000 120,000

Cost of water for reuse (US dollars/m3) 0.27 0.32 0.36
Cost of tap water (US dollars/m3) 1.0 1.0 1.0
Savings (US dollars/m3) 0.73 0.68 0.64
105
E. Ramírez Camperos et al.

Figure 3 Treatment system in the industry for water reuse for watering of green areas and car washing

operation and maintenance costs. This option does not require chemical reagents except for
the chlorine used for disinfecting the water in the retention tank.
The effluent is presently used for watering of green areas, washing of floors, and for car
washing using only garden hoses, providing a 70% savings in the cost of the water used for
these purposes. In fact, there is a surplus of this water that could be sold to other companies
nearby for similar uses.

Conclusions
The container washing water effluent provides a discharge of approximately 6L/container,
that can be used for watering green areas and car washing, after treatment. The water
quality parameters that condition the direct use of the discharge in the ways formerly men-
tioned are: pH, biochemical oxygen demand, free residual chlorine, total alkalinity and
total hardness. These parameters must be reduced to the limits required by the standards,
for direct contact reuse water, in order to preserve the quality of the ground and protect the
vehicles and equipment used for the washing. The treatment trains recommended in order
to fulfill these requirements are:
• pH adjustment–filtration over a mixed bed of sand-anthracite-adsorption over activated
carbon. 100% compliance to standards.
• pH adjustment-coagulation flocculation–direct filtration over a mixed bed of sand-
anthracite. 100% compliance to standards.
• pH adjustment–filtration over a mixed bed of sand-anthracite–adsorption over activated
carbon–softening of the ionic exchange. This treatment train is required in the case when
special equipment is used for car washing.
The washing effluent water is free of pathogenic microorganism contamination, and
after following one of the recommended treatment trains, its handling does not represent
any risk for human contact. However, for additional safety, chlorine should be added to the
water in the retention tank to avoid any possible contamination.

References
Annual book of ASTM standards (1991). Section 6. “Paints, related coatings and aromatics”. Vol 06.01.
Philadelphia, PA. USA.
Faust, Samuel and Osman M. Aly (1998). Chemistry of Water Treatment. 2nd edn CRC Press LLC. U.S.A.
581 pp.
INEGI (National Institute of Statistics and Geographical Information) (1999). XV Censo Industrial.
106
México.
SEMARNAT (1977). Normas Oficiales Mexicanas. NOM-001-ECOL-1996 y NOM-003 ECOL-1997.
Standard Methods for Examination of Water and Wastewater (1998). 20th edn, American Public Health
Association/American Association/Water Environmental Federation, Washington, DC.
Tisdale, S., Werner, L., Montaner and Simon, N. (1977). Fertilidad de los suelos y fertilizantes. Barcelona
España, 760 pp.
Visvanathan, C. and Hufemia, A. (1997). Exploring Zero Discharge Potentials for the Sustainability of a
Bottle Washing Plant. Wat. Sci. Tech., 35(9), 181–190.

E. Ramírez Camperos et al.

107
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