The Laundry Forum

[wljjohn01]

Are there national averages on water evaporization rates for industrial laundries using tunnel washer operations? If so, where can I find this (or any other) information? Thanks!!

[The Laundry List.com]

Are you looking for pounds of water evaporated per minute?
If so, each dryer OEM has their specs.
So do the ironer and finishing tunnel OEM's.

[IronMan]

Are you asking this question because you want to make a case that not all of the water goes to sewer?

[wljjohn01]

Yes. Our city is asking for proof of the percent of evaporation. We have a flume at one of our plants but are trying not to have the added expense of installing at our newer plant. We are trying to gather as much information as possible to prove to them that sewer water going out of the plant is less than coming in due to evaporation.

[laundryman]

Sewer meter only way. They wont take your word on it.

[The Laundry List.com]

Many cities give a 10 to 15% discount for evaporation.

As your water usage per pound of goods washed decreases, the evaporation percentage increases.
Most, new efficient laundries are less than 5% evaporation.
Example:
wash water used = 1 gallon per pound = 8.34 Lbs per Lb
with 40% moisture retension exiting the press. =0.4 Lb of water per 1 Lb of goods =
0.4 Lbs water (to be evaporated) / 8.34 Lbs of water (used) = < 5%

[IronMan]

Requests to have evaporation considered have been answered with the explanation that the waste water plant requires a certain amount of revenue to cover the operating expenses. If there is less volume to bill on then the rates will just get raised to create the required revenue. At one point we had seperate meters for the irrigation systems for landscaping, but they were removed at least fifteen years ago. The bottom line is that the waste water treatment authority will find a way to bill you to cover their costs. It is different in every jurisdiction but that is the way they operate here.

[The Laundry List.com]

Becarefully asking for evaporative creits!!
Some cities are talking about chargeing more for water that is not returned to the sewer!
The POTW's get creit for water that they discharge back into the water cycle.
They would charge those that do not reture the water (like golf courses & parks) more.

[IronMan]

I do not believe that one laundry in a jurisdiction will have enough leverage to change policy. Even with a industry group it is difficult. You could end up worse off when you stir the pot.

[suds-n-blood]

I have seen laundries that have installed a meter to measure the amount of waste water that is returned to the sewer. That gives them the actual amount that the POTW charges on the "return" bill. The typical overall percentage against incoming is 23%.
To make it real, they worked with the POTW to have their involvement and approval on this program. Education on what a laundry does for the water folks was the key!