IDAHO GOES DOWN There are no wells, rivers, or other readily available water sources at Camp Buehring, a US military installation in northern Kuwait that is only 20 miles from the Iraqi border.
Water is a scarce resource in this parched area. The water that soldiers require for drinking, showering, and toilet flushing is delivered by trucks. Managing water supplies is essential to their survival because of the region’s average annual rainfall of less than six inches and temperatures that range from 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter to a sweltering 108 to 115 degrees in the summer.
According to Jeremiah Gilbert, a distributed energy power systems engineer at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), they must bring in all of their water. We wanted to investigate ways they could recycle water because it may grow very costly. Our objective was to help the military achieve its aim of having more self-sufficient bases and to build water resilience for the troops.
The Department of Defense (DOD) provided cash for Gilbert and his colleagues to conduct an energy assessment of two nearby military installations.
Project manager and systems research engineer Mike Shurtliff stated, “We went through the bases looking for ways they could improve or reduce their energy use.” We came up with a number of ideas on how they could save money and energy.
Installing a water reclamation system (WRS) was one of the approved ideas. By recycling water, these systems cut down on the amount of water truck journeys.
Water reclamation system (WRS) graphic. | INL
According to Army standards, all water supplied for use and consumption must originate from a controlled source, according to Shurtliff. The majority of Kuwait’s water comes from domestic desalination facilities. To make sure it satisfies Army requirements, the water from those plants is tested on-site.
Reusing water was one strategy to increase their resilience, according to what we observed at the bases, Shurtliff added. We suggested creating a water reclamation system that would clean sink and shower water and then use it to flush toilets.
At Camp Buehring, water is essentially wasted as it travels down the drain. The WRS increases the base’s water availability by doing away with single usage. The plan to reduce expenses and improve the base’s resilience was financed by DOD. The group contacted Greyter, a business that specialized in that field, and examined current filtering methods.
According to Shurtliff, Greyter has completed numerous water reclamation projects for residences and apartments. Their devices are made to purify and filter gray water. The recovered water can be used for laundry or toilets, but it is not regarded as potable (consumable). We were able to buy Greyter’s base system after getting in touch with them. In order for the water reclamation system to be delivered, readily connected, and operational, we collaborated with Diversified Inc., a local Idaho Falls business, to design and construct a transportable storage container.
Washing machines, showers, sinks, and other similar fixtures can produce gray water. Chemicals like soaps and detergents are typically found in it. Black and gray water cannot mix in order to make the water reclamation procedure as easy and efficient as feasible. Black water needs a more thorough cleaning procedure because it contains dangerous bacteria and diseases as well as human waste.
Even though the INL engineers created a feasible reclamation system, there were difficulties in transporting and setting it up in Kuwait.
According to Shurtliff, the water reclamation system reached Camp Buehring just as COVID struck. We were unable to visit for approximately a year and a half due to the travel restrictions. Everything within the shipping container was exposed to chlorine when the containers containing the chlorine tablets were unsealed during transit. The majority of the metal, including circuit boards and surfaces, had corroded by the time we arrived to the camp and opened the container.
The WRS was linked up to the shower and toilet units after being cleaned and fixed on-site. However, the contractor who supplied the original toilet units withdrew their services and took the units out shortly after the WRS was established. In order to quickly adapt, the team collaborated with Army administration to link the system to two more restroom units that were supplied by a different contractor.
A truck delivers the camp’s water supply, which is then pumped into a holding tank for hand washing and showers. The water is directed to a gray collection tank after draining away. After that, it is pumped to the WRS, where it is filtered, combined with chlorine, and stored in a tank. As an extra precaution to make sure the water is safe for human contact, it is exposed to ultraviolet light before it reaches the toilets. After that, the water can be used for non-potable purposes including dust management, toilets, and watering plants. The sewer system transports all toilet flushes to an artificial lagoon off-base for treatment.
According to Gilbert, the WRS has been successful. To produce drinking water, the military is interested in applying an additional layer of cleansing.
INL managed the WRS for a year before turning it over to the Army for upkeep. The project served as just one illustration of how INL develops and applies solutions for military locations to help DOD achieve its global resilience and self-sufficiency objectives.
“With the success of this demonstration project, we hope to develop a number of others,” Shurtliff added.
