Bayer Saves 1m Gallons Through Water Reuse

Bayer HealthCare has saved more than a million gallons of water since January with a wastewater treatment system at its animal health division headquarters in Shawnee, Kan.

CDI Industrial & Mechanical Contractors, Inc. of Kansas City, Kan., began installation on the proprietary wastewater system in early 2010. Since the system came online, Bayer says it has been able to reuse about 20,000 gallons of water a day.

The treatment system filters water through carbon adsorption tanks, removing any organic contaminants.  The treated wastewater is then transferred directly into the Shawnee facility’s cooling towers where it is used for office building temperature control and process temperature control in the production facility.

Previously, wastewater from the manufacturing process was only treated by adjusting its pH level.  After tests were conducted to confirm the wastewater was within the proper pH range, it was sent down drains into the municipal sewer system for further treatment at the local municipal treatment plant.

The process modification reduces Bayer’s need for using city water for make-up to the cooling towers, and also reduces the volume of wastewater sent to the local municipal treatment plant, Bayer says.

The Mechanical Contractors Association of Kansas City recognized CDI and its installation of the wastewater system with an Outstanding Mechanical Installation award at its semi-annual awards banquet in July.

Last September the Carbon Disclosure Project named Bayer as a leader in both carbon footprint and disclosure.

The company is aiming for Gold-level LEED for commercial interiors (LEED-CI) certification for a $17 million renovation project at its U.S. headquarters in Pittsburgh. Bayer opened a “climate neutral” office building in India last January.