Success Stories
The City of San José has implemented a variety
of programs improving water conservation in the South Bay. These success
stories demonstrate ways local companies have been able to reduce wastewater
discharge or pollutants from their facilities.
 By
capturing and reusing RO reject and RO/DI backwash Vishay Siliconix,
a Santa Clara semiconductor manufacturer, was able to reuse these former
wastewater streams in their six air scrubbers. This project resulted in
a reduction of daily wastewater flow of 47,000 gallons. With the help
of a WET rebate, the investment was returned in two-and-a-half years.
Read their Success Story (PDF format,
558 KB)
 Reaction
Technology initiated an internal water use audit and discovered
that the scrubbers on their epitaxy reactors were operating at full capacity
even during idle times. After designing and installing a "feedback
inhibition" water control system, they exceeded their initial water
savings goal. They returned to within their assigned capacity with a return
on investment of approximately one year after factoring in the WET rebate.
Read their Success Story (PDF
format, 604 KB)
 Dynamic Details, a manufacturer of quick-turn prototype printed circuit
boards located in Milpitas, California, has implemented a number of pollution prevention and flow reduction projects over the past 10 years. As a result of their efforts, they were awarded the California Water Environment Association’s Large Industrial Plant of the Year Award in 1995 and 2000. One of the largest reductions in Dynamic Details water use was the installation of a system to recycle rinsewater from their plating lines.
Read their Success Story (PDF format, 1.33 MB)
 Through careful process manipulations, LSI Logic was able to reduce the discharge of wastewater by over 9,000 gallons per day. This, in turn, allowed them to expand other processes in the plant. The $7,000 in labor cost for the process testing involved was returned in about six months. Moreover, LSI Logic was able to meet its goal of a 15% water reduction with the changes.
Read their Success Story (PDF format, 3.94 MB)
Stay tuned for more information about completed projects and techniques for successful flow reduction. |
