Textiles
The Australian Textile Industry and Water
Reducing water use is economically beneficial. It lowers your water bill and can reduce the amount of chemicals required. Less water means a lower application of chemicals is needed to achieve the same outcome. Instead of chemicals being diluted and discharged in wastewater, they can be recovered for reuse. Examples of water recycling and chemical reuse can be seen in the Case Studies section.
The key areas of water use are scouring, dyeing, bleaching and finishing. Other water uses include toilets, air conditioning, cooling towers, equipment and site cleaning. The following diagrams show that water use varies between different textile operations. It may be necessary to conduct a water audit or water balance, to help you identify key opportunities for saving water.
Source: EnviroWise (1997), 'Water and Chemical Use in the Textile Dyeing and Finishing Industry', Environmental Best Practice Program, GG62, P37.
The key areas of water use are scouring, dyeing, bleaching and finishing. Other water uses include toilets, air conditioning, cooling towers, equipment and site cleaning. The following diagrams show that water use varies between different textile operations. It may be necessary to conduct a water audit or water balance, to help you identify key opportunities for saving water.
Source: EnviroWise (1997), 'Water and Chemical Use in the Textile Dyeing and Finishing Industry', Environmental Best Practice Program, GG62, P37.
The Australian Textile Industry – Some Facts
| The Australian textile, clothing, footwear and leather industry has an annual turnover of $9.3 million and employs about 65,000 people. The industry uses about 50 Gigalitres of water per year, or 7% of the total water used in the manufacturing sector (Australian Water Account, 2004). The industry also uses significant amounts of chemicals, most of which are applied to the fabric using water as a medium. These include dyes and bleaches, detergents, acids, salts, softeners and fire retardants. The use of these chemicals is a significant issue concerning water use - wastewater from textile plants can be environmentally damaging if not treated appropriately and chemicals within wastewater make reuse schemes more difficult. |
The benefits of saving water
- Reduced water bills by more efficient water use and wastewater disposal;
- Reduced chemical applications and recovering chemicals for reuse;
- Reduced pumping needs which will reduced annual energy costs;
- Decreased infrastructure requirements such as maintenance and upgrades of equipment;
- Reduced environmental risks associated with wastewater, by making wastewater treatment more cost effective;
- Improved business image and marketability of your product; and
- Preparation of your company for future water restriction and increased water prices.