Water Management System refers to the regulation and distribution of water resources to minimise harm to individuals and property while optimising their useful life. One of the industries that use the most water worldwide is textile production; in fact, it takes over 22,500 litres of water to produce one kilogram of cotton. Clean water is needed for every step of the supply chain, including pre-treating yarn, dyeing, printing, bleaching, and finishing. But we frequently overlook the fact that pure water, not necessarily freshwater, is what these processes require. This is where the creation of advanced textiles requires more innovation in terms of more sustainable production methods. Home textile manufacturers in India such as Welspun Living have already taken initiatives to make their production procedures more environment-friendly, with many others also following suit.
It is important for textile companies to recognize the importance of water management, and this brings us to the concept of wastewater management in textile industries. Removal of big solids that could harm machinery or cause issues with operation, such as rags, twigs, dirt, and grease. In an effluent treatment plant, screening is used to remove relatively large solid wastes. Equalisation and skimming are the key processes involved in preliminary treatment; they remove grease and oil, homogenise the mixture, and remove some BOD and COD. Principal Intervention The purpose of primary treatment is to eliminate materials that are floatable and settleable, such as chemical organic waste and suspended solids.
Another effective water management solution is secondary treatment, which involves removing biodegradable organic matter, including COD and BOD along with decomposition of organic matter. Biological treatment of water in textile industries can be both anaerobic and aerobic.
The next step, advanced or tertiary treatment, is one of the best water management solutions. A single treatment technique is unlikely to be appropriate for the entire effluent treatment process due to the complexity and variability of the textile industry's effluent. The elimination of leftover dissolved or suspended materials is part of the tertiary treatment. Adsorbents (granular activated carbon, silica, clays, fly ash, synthetic ion exchange medium, natural bioadsorbents, and synthetic bioadsorbents) are used in the majority of wastewater treatment plants.
Furthermore, it is critical that businesses prioritize accountability and openness in order to further advance effective water management in the textile sector. This entails exchanging knowledge about water use and management techniques and taking responsibility for any potential effects on nearby water resources. By doing this, textile firms may safeguard the water resources that are essential for both communities and ecosystems, as well as enhance their own water management procedures and contribute to the industry's overall sustainability. Sustainable water resource management is the use of water resources to satisfy present-day ecological, social, and economic demands without endangering future water resources.
There are several positive effects of water management in the textile industry, and it can reap numerous benefits from efficient water management. Apart from the massive environmental impact, the need for water management drives manufacturers to develop better solutions, increase process efficiency, and enhance brand recognition. For instance, there are several sustainable textile clothing brands like Patagonia, Reformation, Tentree, Alternative Apparel, Amour Vert, Everlande, etc, known for applying effective water management techniques to their manufacturing units. Welspun Living is also not far behind with its innovative wastewater management techniques. The textile company has set up a dedicated system for zero fresh water usage at its plant in Anjar, recycling a whopping 7 billion liters of water every year, while also setting up a rainwater harvesting lagoon that collects the water used throughout the facility. It is innovations like these that promise to stand out in the future, as far as the textile industry is concerned.
