Innovating with water
Clean water is one of the planet's most precious resources. Schnitzer Steel is investing
in equipment upgrades that conserve, divert and clean water – and reduce repair costs.
Shredders stay cool and cost effective with collected rain water
Metal on metal creates friction, and friction means heat. At Schnitzer Steel's recycling facility, the feedstock is instantly pulverized by the mega shredder, which stays cool with soothing baths of collected rainwater. Similar to our recycling facilities in other locations, the Oakland plant has installed a 1.2 million gallon tank to collect storm water. The storm water is "harvested" from catch basins and collected in a tank, where it can be treated before being re-used as cooling water. As a result, the facility avoids the need to use 6 million gallons annually from the local municipal water supply.
Equipment upgrades mean cleaner water for less energy
In 2008, Cascade Steel Rolling Mills made several upgrades to its Rod Block contact water treatment tank in McMinnville, Oregon to gain energy efficiency and improve performance. Among the changes: two cooling towers, a settling tank and centrifugal filter, a new chemical treatment system for contact water and variable frequency drives for the motors and fans.
As a result, the plant conserves an estimated 1 million kilowatt hours annually, while significantly improving the quality of water prior to discharge to the local Yamhill River.
Auto Parts Business automates water samplers
When there is a major storm, managers at Schnitzer's Pick-n-Pull sites collect and sample storm water. For an accurate read, the water must be collected after about five minutes of rain. And since storms do not always happen during business hours, an innovative, around-the-clock approach was called for.
The solution is both simple and sustainable: solar-powered, automated storm water collectors. Equipped with a rain gauge, timer and vacuum pump, this system automatically fills up a gallon jug of water. Should a storm occur overnight, the site manager arrives in the morning to find a perfect sample ready to send off for testing. And since these collectors are solar, they do not rely on the local energy grid to do the job.
Our Auto Parts Business is testing samplers at several California sites and plans to expand their use at other locations.
"Our investment in sustainability makes good business sense. Since completing the project, not a single pump has failed due to water quality, saving us $100,000 a year in repair costs."
– Vern Floyd, Maintenance Foreman, Cascade Steel Rolling Mills
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