Zero Process Water Discharge for a Two-stage Washer : Ace Plating Part IV

Ace Plating Company is a small Chicago job shop offering a variety of decorative electroplating finishes including various types of brass, nickel, bronze and copper. In 1993, Ace Plating used about five million gallons of water annually. In light of new discharge fees and what appeared to be ever-changing environmental regulations,Ace Plating sought assistance from the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) to reduce disposal costs and minimize environmental liability. In 1995, the management at Ace - with ISTC's assistance - launched an aggressive effort to use environmentally responsible processes and procedures in all of its business operations. By October 2000, Ace had become a zero process water discharger. For additional information about how this was achieved, see ISTC publications TN13-066, TN13-071 and TN13-078.