GREEN ROOF EFFECT - ProMéxico

article cbr ingeniería
Clean water in five steps The five stages of water treatment
• Conditioning Reactor Bacteria or organic matter is put in a latent state, fostering nourishment in better than normal conditions.
• Second Reactor Bacteria is grown and strengthened so it can be reproduced.
• Third Reactor Digestion begins. A balance is created where the organic bacteria isn’t fed and starts to eat itself. This is called “bacteria
cannibalism.”
• Disinfection Water is disinfected. This can be accomplished through ultraviolet light or a chlorination process similar to what is done
with a swimming pool. The second option is more economical and uses commercial tablets. The first option requires an initial major
investment in costly equipment but has the advantage of an autonomous plant that can be monitored through the Internet.
• Return The sludge or leftover flocculent material (undigested bacteria) is returned to the first reactor to repeat the process. This is called
“sludge return” and it is what allows equilibrium between nourishment and organic load.
than 150 million liters of dirty water each
week. It turns the liquid into an optimal
condition so it can be reused in the irrigation
of green areas or car washes and
restrooms.
CBR’s plants are designed to comply
with the Official Mexican Standard NOM-
003-ECOL-1997, issued by the Ministry of
the Environment and Natural Resources
(SEMARNAT). It establishes the maximum
pollutants permitted in wastewater
treated for reuse in public services.
The treatment process, regardless the
size of the plant, lasts 18 hours and its average
cost is less than 7.5 usd for each 100
cubic meters of water.
Zero Perfect
Recently, the large flow plant installed
by CBR Ingeniería in Cancún obtained
DBO0 certification. This parameter,
related to the biological demand for
oxygen, measures the amount of material
susceptible to being consumed or
oxidized by biological means and is used
for determining its degree of contamination.
NOM-003 allows a maximum of 30
milligrams of pollutants for each liter of
water. Cancún’s plant obtained the DBO0
parameter, signifying zero parts per million
or zero milligrams of contaminants
for each liter of water. “It’s the first plant
with an attainment of zero,” Bribiesca
informed. “This treated water could be
drinkable, although, clearly, there exists
the taboo that it comes from wastewater.”
Coming Soon
CBR Ingeniería’s future is taking aim
equally at home maintenance and the exploration
of new territories. The company
is looking to strengthen its presence in
the internal market by developing more
manageable and profitable treatment
plants. At the same time, it’s preparing to
expand operations in Central and South
America.
To reduce costs and decrease the impact
on the environment, the company
is exploring renewable energy options.
These include the use of biogas and solar
energy to produce the electricity needed
to operate the plants. Currently, CBR Ingeniería
is allocating part of its revenues
to the research and development of such
technologies. But above everything, it is
looking to increase consciousness on the
importance and benefit of wastewater
treatment. “Taking care of the environment
is everyone’s concern. We have to
assume a culture in which we take care
of water and with aid of technology contribute
to improve the environment condition,”
Bribiesca said. n