Module 1


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	Usage of water

Introduction

The use of water in laundries is as important as the use of detergents or maybe even more important. Water acts as a heating medium, as transport medium and solvent for detergent and soil, and as wetting agent for textile and additionally it transfers the mechanical action of the washer to the laundry. Thus water is a major component in the washing process. Water is used in large quantities in laundries. Typically, between 4 and 30 liters of water per kilogram textile are used. Presently, the cost of water is a relatively small part of the total laundry cost, but water prices are expected to rise due to European legislation (2000/60/EC).

The European Directive 2000/60/EC prescribes the creation of incentives for an efficient use of water resources and focuses on improvement of sustainability of production. Following this directive, laundries will have to search for opportunities to reduce their water consumption. Presently, the cost of water is a relatively small part of the total laundry cost, but water prices are expected to rise due to European legislation (2000/60/EC). The European Directive 2000/60/EC prescribes the creation of incentives for an efficient use of water resources and focuses on improvement of sustainability of production. Following this Directive, laundries will have to search for opportunities to reduce their water consumption.

Additionally, water as received from the water supply, being a river, a well, or drinking water facility needs to be softened, decontaminated, etc. as the quality of water has a strong effect on the quality of the washing process and/or on the life time of the textile. By reducing the water consumption and intake also costs for water treatment may be decreased.

The use of water in laundries also produces waste water. Disposal of waste water is regulated by European and national legislation. Due to waste water legislation and pricing laundries are searching for opportunities to reduce the volume and the costs of their waste water disposal.


	These aspects of water use in the laundry sector and the basic principles of water consumption related washing technologies and legislation are subject of this module.

Learning target:

Module 1 will introduce you to the basics of sustainable washing in industrial laundries and supply basic information with regard to water usage and treatment in industrial laundries.

Chapter No	Learning Content Duration: 1 day	Amount of charts	Method
1	Sustainability and directive 2000/60/EC	8	P
2	Usage of water for Washing	29	P
3a	Fresh water supply	48	I
3b	Water softening	16	I
3c	Fresh water disinfection	20	I
4	Reasons for waste water load and possibilities of improving waste water quality	12	P
5 5a	Waste water treatment Ways of waste water discharge	12	I
5b	Biological treatment Precipitation and flocculation	34	P/OF
5	Filtration technology	40	P/OF
6	Waste water regulations Waste water regulations in the Netherlands	34	P/OF
7	Glossary: Important parameters	11

After finishing the module you will:

know the general requirements for water supply and be able to use this knowledge to avoid the possible negative effects of reducing water consumption

be able to recognize the importance of water usage in the laundries and to use water in a sustainable way

know, recognize and point out problems caused by fresh water contaminants and to know the types and effects of the different fresh water treatment systems with respect to their practical use in laundries

know the important EU-regulations concerning sustainability of laundering processes and the national regulations concerning laundry waste water and be able to apply them during practical use in laundries

know the different types of waste water treatment technologies and their effects on waste water quality – including advantages, disadvantages and practical application - and be able to make the right choice with respect to the application of the different technologies in laundries

be able to identify possibilities of fresh water reduction in order to improve efficiency of water usage in laundries

Contents of the module:

The module is divided into 6 chapters.

Chapter 1: Definition of sustainability
Chapter 2: Basic regulations for water usage in Europe
Chapter 3: Use of water for washing
Chapter 4: Supply and decontamination of fresh water
Chapter 5: Waste water treatment
Chapter 6: Waste water regulations

The module will finish with an electronic examination to test your knowledge.


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