Humidity Control in Water Treatment Plants

The water treatment industry, due to its very nature, has the disadvantage of having a high degree of moisture in the environment that directly affects the infrastructure of the plant itself, causing problems to both mechanical and electronic equipment.

The points where moisture most often impacts are:

Metal Structure: Oxidation

Above 50% ambient relative humidity, the oxidation process suffered by metallic materials accelerates exponentially: pipes, valves, pumps, tanks, in general any metal surface will oxidize faster and therefore the lifespan and quality index are both reduced.

Metal Structure: Condensation

In water treatment plants, an additional oxidation process occurs due to condensation.

Moisture, inside the plant, condenses on any surface that has a lower dew point temperature than the air, which is commonly on the outer metal surfaces of pipes and tanks.

Electrical and Electronic Equipment: Damage

There is electrical and electronic equipment present in a water treatment plant that plays a vital role in the control of the processes that take place inside.

These processes can be affected by deterioration caused by high levels of humidity in electronic circuits, which leads to failures, causing damage to the operation of the plant.

Solution: Sources of Humidity and Their Treatment

The source of moisture in this type of plant is usually:

  • Infiltration
  • Ventilation
  • Opening of doors and windows
  • Evaporation from open water tanks

Through a series of calculations we can assess the incidence of each of these and subsequently their total, so that we can work out the mass of water that must be removed to keep humidity levels low and avoid damage.

Application References

Some outstanding references:

    • Bilbao water consortium
    • MPWiK Lublin 

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