http://www.icis.com/icisconnect/forums/363.aspxHave your say about what's happening in the chemical industry. enCommunityServer 2008.5 SP2 (Build: 40407.4157)http://www.icis.com/icisconnect/forums/thread/1536.aspxWed, 30 Jul 2008 12:15:45 GMT8e774857-1e25-4730-bdb9-310c4492ad3b:1536AJB0http://www.icis.com/icisconnect/forums/thread/1536.aspxhttp://www.icis.com/icisconnect/forums/commentrss.aspx?SectionID=363&PostID=1536I’m writing a feature for our upcoming Water issue, looking at water conservation, and specifically what the chemical industry is doing to reduce its water use. Obviously, water is pretty integral to the production process and is used throughout a facility for cooling, cleaning and generating steam. But are producers doing all they can to reduce their use, their waste and improve the re-use of water? Any help with the questions below would be welcome... 1) Should chemical companies put more emphasis on water conservation and invest more to achieve tougher targets? 2) Chemical firms are obviously large users of water – but what are the benefits/savings achievable by cutting water use/investing in water treatment? How can energy audits and water treatment help? 3) In general terms, what volume of water would an average chemical site use each year, and what would this cost (overall costs/in relation to turnover?). Would modifications to a plant be extensive or are adjustments to save water fairly easy to make? 4) What is the payback time to recoup such an investment? 5) Are there government directives/regulations regarding water use in the chemical sector? Is it largely up to each producer to determine where savings can be made and how efficiency can be improved? 6) Do these standards vary globally? 7) What are five practical steps that chemical plants can undertake to acknowledge and reduce waste? Any comments are appreciated...<div style="clear:both;"></div>