PCA Water delivers sustainable water treatment with zero liquid discharge at SADEF
SADEF, based in Gits, Belgium, specialises in the production and surface treatment of steel sections. The surface treatment process generates significant volumes of industrial wastewater. To treat this wastewater sustainably and reuse as much water as possible, SADEF invested in a new water treatment installation from PCA Water. Commissioned in October 2025, the installation combines a vacuum evaporator with a duplex ion exchanger.
From conventional water treatment to zero liquid discharge
SADEF previously relied on a conventional physico-chemical water treatment system, which required intensive monitoring by operators and consumed significant quantities of chemicals. With the new installation, SADEF has opted for a sustainable, future-proof solution in which the treated wastewater is reused in the production process. As a result, no industrial wastewater is discharged any longer, and SADEF has achieved zero liquid discharge. At the heart of the installation is a vacuum evaporator with a capacity of 60 m³ per day. Before evaporation, the wastewater undergoes a neutralisation and flocculation step, after which the suspended solids are removed by a filter press.
A closed water loop with ion exchangers
In addition to the wastewater treatment system, PCA Water supplied a duplex ion exchanger with a capacity of 15 m³/h. This unit treats the rinse water from the surface treatment line to produce demineralised water, so that it can be reused. Thanks to the duplex design, a continuous supply of demineralised water is guaranteed while one of the two ion exchangers is being regenerated. Regeneration is fully automatic, and the wastewater it produces is also treated by the vacuum evaporator. The result is a closed water loop that significantly reduces water consumption.
A challenging changeover without production downtime
One of the biggest challenges in this project was reusing the existing filter press from the old physico-chemical treatment system. As production at SADEF continued as normal, wastewater was being generated continuously. This left only a very short window to relocate the filter press and connect it to the new installation. Careful preparation and planning were therefore essential. As soon as the existing filter press had been relocated, the new water treatment installation had to be fully operational. Thanks to close coordination between PCA Water and SADEF, the changeover took place without any interruption to production.
Fewer chemicals, less operator intervention and ready for the future
The new water treatment installation offers SADEF several key benefits. Thanks to its high level of automation, it requires considerably less manual monitoring than the previous physico-chemical system. Chemical consumption has also been reduced. In addition, reusing the treated wastewater greatly reduces the demand for fresh water, and the discharge of industrial wastewater has been eliminated entirely. With this state-of-the-art water treatment installation, SADEF now has an efficient, sustainable and future-proof solution. It is an investment that not only optimises day-to-day operations, but also supports the company's ongoing sustainability efforts and green image.
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