Sustainable Water Management in Coal Handling Plants through Utilization of Purified Tube Settler and Lagoon Water

Abstract

Water management is a critical component of sustainable industrial operations, particularly in bulk material handling facilities such as Coal Handling Plants (CHP). Coal yard activities such as road sprinkling, wheel washing, coal heap dust suppression, and conveyor cleaning require substantial quantities of water, which traditionally depend on fresh service water sources. This study presents the implementation of a water recycling and harvesting system utilizing purified water from a Tube Settler and Lagoon reservoir for coal yard operations. The project involved installing a mechanized pumping system and a distribution pipeline network to reuse treated wastewater for various operational activities. The initiative enabled the recycling of wastewater and reduced fresh water consumption by approximately 34,875 m³ annually, resulting in significant financial savings and improved environmental sustainability. The system demonstrates an effective approach to industrial water conservation and aligns with modern sustainability practices in bulk material handling facilities.

Introduction

The paper presents a water recycling initiative in a Coal Handling Plant (CHP) aimed at reducing fresh water consumption and improving sustainability. In coal yard operations—such as dust suppression, vehicle washing, and equipment cleaning—large amounts of fresh water were traditionally used, while treated wastewater from Tube Settlers and lagoons was underutilized due to lack of reuse infrastructure.

To solve this, a water recycling system was implemented by installing a 50 m³/hr submersible pump (60 HP) and a 500-meter pipeline network to distribute treated water across coal yard operational areas. This enabled the reuse of filtered wastewater for road sprinkling, coal heap dust control, truck washing, conveyor cleaning, and housekeeping activities.

The system significantly reduced fresh water usage by about 67,690 m³ annually, leading to financial savings of approximately ?10.15 lakh per year. It also improved operational efficiency by enabling continuous reuse of treated water and reducing dependency on fresh water supply.

Conclusion

The implementation of a mechanized water recycling system using Tube Settler and Lagoon purified water has successfully transformed previously unused treated water into a valuable operational resource for coal yard activities. By installing a submersible pumping system and distribution pipeline network, the project significantly reduced freshwater consumption while improving operational efficiency and sustainability. The initiative demonstrates that water harvesting and recycling in industrial operations can provide both environmental and economic benefits, making it an essential component of modern industrial resource management.

Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Ajit Biswal. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.