The dye is cast for purification at Westdale
15 Jan 2000
Westdale Dyeing & Finishing is beginning to reap the benefits of switching from mains water to river water, thanks to the installation of an automatic water abstraction and treatment system. The firm estimates that the system, from Kirten Engineering, will save it £100,000 per year.
Westdale managing director Richard Chaplin explains: `With the severe pressure on profit margins in the textile industry, anything we can do to reduce our operating costs gives us even more of an advantage over our competitors. One of our biggest costs is water, which is why we decided to seek an alternative, cheaper supply.'
The system extracts water from a tributary of the River Soar, which runs behind the factory. The water is pumped into a 35ft38ft38ft plant room, where it flows through two sand filters, two carbon filters and two water softeners. Another system doses the water with biocide, while a sensor array measures the water's cloudiness and triggers the addition of conditioning agents.
`The Kirton system won hands-down,' says Chaplin. The size of the plant room was an important factor due to the cramped space availabie, he adds.
Kirton sales manager Pat Pickering says that even companies without a river behind their plant could benefit from these systems. `we can carry out a hydrological survey to determine whether a new bore hole is a feasible option,' he says. `The survey will indicate whether water is of the right quality and is available in sufficient quantities.'
