Oxy Petrochemicals, Inc.

Year Submitted: 2003

Process: Cooling Towers

Industry: Chemical Manufacturing

Wastes Reduced: Wastewater

Substance: Cooling Tower Water

Location: Corpus Christi, Nueces County TX

No. of employees: 310

Contact: Michael Mudrock

Phone: (512) 242-8098

Description:

Process waste water at the facility is treated in an enhanced biodegradation unit to purify the stream. Traditionally, the stream was discharged into the Corpus Christi Ship Channel after treatment. The discharge rate was 184-gallons per minute.

P2 Application:

OxyChem determined that the effluent water stream quality exceeded the quality standards of the facility's cooling tower make up water. The stream was rerouted to the cooling tower system. The stream was found to exceed the normal cooling tower water standards in some criteria. This allowed a reduction in the blowdown rate and further reduced the facility's water usage requirements.

Environmental Benefits:

Reduced the total water usage requirements of the facility and the demand placed upon the City of Corpus Christi by over 200-gallons per minute or about 100 million gallons per year.

Details of Reductions

Additional Information :

Significantly reduced the annual water costs of the facility. Return on investment was less than 30-days.

Source: TCEQ