final report improving water conservation in the marble and

FINAL REPORT

IMPROVING WATER CONSERVATION IN THE

MARBLE AND GRANITE INDUSTRY IN LEBANON

PREPARED FOR

ASSOCIATION OF LEBANESE INDUSTRIALISTS

WATER EFFICIENCY IN LEBANESE INDUSTRIES – WELI” PROGRAM

AUGUST 2019

Water Efficiency in Lebanese Industries Marble and Granite Industry

Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon 1 Leb- Final Report-August 2019

Table of Contents 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 4

2. Marble and Granite Industry Overview .............................................................................. 4

3. Project Overview ................................................................................................................ 5

4. Description of the Proposed Improvements in Wastewater Management Systems ........... 7

4.1. Settlement Pond........................................................................................................... 7

4.2. Silo/Shaped Sedimentation Tank ................................................................................ 8

4.3. Filter Press ................................................................................................................. 10

5. Methodology of the Water Audit ...................................................................................... 10

5.1. Data Acquisition and Site Inspection ........................................................................ 10

5.2. Water Mass Balance Analysis ................................................................................... 11

6. Summary of Auditing Results .......................................................................................... 12

6.1. Pre-development Auditing Results (Previous Conditions in the Industries) ............ 13

6.1.1. Water Consumption ........................................................................................... 13

6.1.2. Wastewater Management ................................................................................... 14

6.1.3. Sludge Management........................................................................................... 15

6.2. Post-Development Auditing Results ......................................................................... 18

6.2.1. Water Consumption ........................................................................................... 18

6.2.2. Wastewater Management ................................................................................... 19

6.2.3. Sludge Management........................................................................................... 20

7. Summary of Project Results ............................................................................................. 21

8. References ........................................................................................................................ 23

List of Figures Figure 4-1 Schematic flowchart of the wastewater management system .................................. 7

Figure 4-2 Typical section of a rectangular sedimentation tank showing operating zones ....... 8

Figure 4-3 Cross sectional view of settlement silo .................................................................... 9

Figure 4-4 Top view of settlement silo .................................................................................... 10

Figure 5-1 Water balance ......................................................................................................... 12

Figure 6 Sources of fresh water ............................................................................................... 14

Figure 7 Hydrogeology of audited project sites ....................................................................... 16

Figure 8 Summary of project results (1) .................................................................................. 22

Figure 9 Summary of project results (2) .................................................................................. 22

List of Tables Table 1 Marble and granite industries enrolled in the program ................................................. 6

Table 2Typical generated wastewater quality............................................................................ 7

Table 3 Water consumption (Pre-development phase) ............................................................ 13

Table 4 Physical characteristics of the reused water in the facilities ....................................... 14

Table 5 Quantity of disposed sludge (pre-development phase) ............................................... 15

Table 6 Percent reduction in water consumption (Post-development phase) .......................... 19

Table 7 Percent improvements in suspended solids level in water .......................................... 20



Table 8 Percent reduction in quantities of sludge (post-development phase) ......................... 20



Structure of the Report

This Final Report consists of one executive summary report as a main report and nine detailed

water audit reports for each of the nine marble and granite processing facilities. The reports are

organized as follow:

Annex 01 Ibrahim Mallah et Fils S.A.L. (IMF)

Annex 02 Mohammaad Jaafar & Co. "Rocky"

Annex 03 National Marble Company S.A.L.

Annex 04 Onyx for Trade and Industry

Annex 05 Ste. Georges Najem and sons - G.N.S. S.A.R.L.

Annex 06 Usine Nationale Des Blocs Et Carreaux (Boustany, Mallah & Co. S.A.R.L.)

Annex 07 Yazda Company S.A.R.L.

Annex 08 AbdulSatter Marble Group

Annex 09 Art &Decoration



1. Introduction

The marble and granite industry is a well-developed sector in Lebanon due to the presence of

valuable natural stones in the country. The size of the marble and granite market in Lebanon is

around $96.61M, where more than 400 industries and 600 traders exist (BlomInvest Bank,

2015). In general, marble and granite industries are known to be large consumers of water. The

equipment used in stone cutting processes require the use of large amounts of water, for

cooling, lubrication, and cleaning. Thus, significant quantities of wastewater are generated.

Achieving sustainability in industries is integral to efficient water management. In recognition

of the scarcity of water and the inevitable increase in the water demand of the industrial sector

in Lebanon, conservation and efficient use of existing water sources is becoming imperative.

In this context, the Association of Lebanese Industrialists (ALI) signed a partnership agreement

with the USAID-funded Lebanon Water Project (LWP), the Water Efficiency in Lebanese

Industries (WELI) Program on "Improving Water Conservation in the Marble and Granite

Industry in Lebanon". The program will provide financial incentives to promote the culture of

water conservation among Marble and Granite industries in Lebanon.

Accordingly, Geoflint s.a.r.l. was hired by ALI to provide marble and granite industries with

technical environmental consultancy services to promote both economically and

environmentally responsible use of water resources. As an initial stage, baseline water audits

were prepared for nine marble and granite industries in order to assess the water consumption

within the facilities and to identify opportunities to improve water use efficiency.

2. Marble and Granite Industry Overview

The processing of marble or granite to produce final marketable products entails cutting raw

dimensional stone into plates of defined shapes and sizes followed by surface polishing.

The production process involves water recirculation aiming to cool down the cutting and

polishing equipment and to control particulate matter emissions. Fine particles (<0.2 mm) are

generated during the cutting and polishing processes, where around 25-40% of the weight of

the block is produced as fine particles during the cutting process. Thus, large amount of water

is used to capture the produced particles, resulting in the generation of a high-in-solids effluent

(Taşdemir, Kurama, 2013).

The marble and granite industry mainly faces two major challenges related to water

management. First, the cutting and polishing processes involve large quantities of water, most

of which are reused. The majority of marble and granite processing industries utilize basic

physical treatment of the generated water (i.e. simple solid–liquid separation, settlement

basins). However, due to the high demand of water for the industrial and low retention time in

the treatment system, improper application of coagulants, improper management

practices...etc., the efficiency of the wastewater treatment system is generally low. The main

concerns related to the wastewater are related to the high levels of total solids and the high

turbidity of the water. If the turbidity of the reused water is higher than acceptable values, the

stone powders in the water may cause polishing problems during the processing of natural stone

and may lead to clogging of pipes. Consequently, the maximum turbidity of the clean water

should be less than 15 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) (Ersoy, Tosun, et al., 2009).



Moreover, from an environmental perspective, the generated wastewater, if not efficiently

treated, would negatively affect the physical, biological and chemical characteristics of both

the local water and soil quality, resulting in inevitable implications on both the environment

and the public health.

Second, which is a major challenge in stone cutting industries, is the high generation rates of

sludge. The generated sludge has high water content, making the handling process more

complicated. Studies indicate that 96% of slurry generating from the stone cutting process is

water while the solid particles represent only 4%. In general, industries discharge the generated

sludge in open basins for a certain period, until it is dry, and is later disposed in landfills or

open dumps. However, the current sludge management practices are causing impacts on land

use/ land cover, water resources, air quality and visual amenity of the sites. From an economic

perspective, the management of this waste poses a high operation cost on this industry, due to

the increase in costs of waste storage, transport, and disposal.

According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 25 to 50% of water in marble and

granite industries can be saved by the careful attention to good water conservation practices

and minor modification of equipment. In this context, the WELI Program on "Improving Water

Conservation in the Marble and Granite Industry in Lebanon" aims to promote water

conservation measures in a selected number of industries. The proposed project outcomes

might serve as a success story to other industries in the sector and to other sectors.

3. Project Overview

The Water Efficiency in Lebanese Industries (WELI) Program on "Improving Water

Conservation in the Marble and Granite Industry in Lebanon" has the following objectives:

Promote water conservation at the industrial production chain level, by implementing

water saving measures along with related capital investments in advanced water

efficiency improvement technologies

Encourage small-scale innovative and low-cost infrastructure projects in industrial

wastewater treatment and reuse

Foster capacity building to further entice industries in water conservation and integrate

Corporate Social Responsibility actions towards cleaner production measures

After marble and granite industries applied for the WELI incentive rebate program and

submitted their proposals, baseline water audit were conducted to assess baseline conditions

related to water management in the facility. Afterwards, proposals were submitted by industries

to be evaluated and a post-installation water audit will be conducted. Accordingly, incentive

rebates will be provided to industries that have adopted technologies and practices to improve

water use efficiency.

The marble and granite processing industries enrolled in the program are listed in the table

below:



Table 1 Marble and granite industries enrolled in the program

Names of Industries Address Location Category

Ibrahim Mallah et Fils

SAL (IMF) I

Mohammaad Jaafar & Co.

"Rocky" II

National Marble Company

S.A.L I

Onyx for Trade and

Industry I

Ste. Georges Najem and

sons - G.N.S. sarl I

Usine Nationale Des Blocs

Et Carreaux (Boustany,

Mallah & Co. SARL)

II

Yazda Company I

AbdulSatter Marble Group I

Art &Decoration II

The incentive rebate program to Marble and Granite industries will be awarded to implement

the water saving initiatives defined through the water management improvement plan, upon

one of the following three investment types:

CATEGORY I: Completed New Investments for Marble & Granite Industry in Lebanon to

improve water conservation using best industry practices.

CATEGORY II: Completed Upgrade Investments for Marble & Granite Industry in Lebanon

to improve water conservation through the use of Motor Control Center and Dewatering Press.

CATEGORY III: Completed Upgrade Investments for Marble & Granite Industry in Lebanon

to improve water conservation through the use of Dewatering Press.

http://www.nehmeradiator.com/



4. Description of the Proposed Improvements in Wastewater

Management Systems

The main environmental concerns related to the generated wastewater from plants are the high

levels of solid and the turbidity of the water. The typical quality of the wastewater generated

from a stone cutting industry is presented in the table below.

Table 2Typical generated wastewater quality

Parameters Value

pH 7.2

Temperature (oC) 20

Turbidity (NTU) 390

Electrical Conductivity (μs/Cm) 12500

Total Solids (mg/L) 9600

Total Suspended Solids (mg/L) 2100

Total Dissolved Solids (mg/L) 7500 Source: Fahiminia, Ardani, et.al. 2013

The management of wastewater from such industries entail the use of advanced physical

separation processes. The recommended wastewater management system includes two-staged

settlement process (settlement ponds and shaped settlement tanks), followed by filter press for

the water recovery from the generated sludge.

Figure 4-1 Schematic flowchart of the wastewater management system

4.1.Settlement Pond

Wastewater resulting from cutting, shaping, and cleaning activities in a stone cutting facility

will be first directed to a series of sedimentation tanks also known as a settlement pond. The

first tank will receive the highest load of slurry and will settle most of the suspended solids.

This tank will always be the dirtiest, therefore regular scraping and cleaning of its bottom



should occur. The layout typically includes between 2 and 4 sedimentations tanks, where the

last one will have the cleanest water and requires the least sludge removal activity. The overall

purpose of the sedimentation system is to allow for the slurry to settle out and receive clean

water at the effluent to be either directly reused in the facility or pumped to a settling silo shown

in Figure 4-1for further treatment (as will be the case in the audited stone cutting facilities).

Sedimentation tanks are separated by walls that have weirs at top of them. The weirs serve to

skim the top layer of tank as to allow only for the cleaner water to enter the adjacent tank.

The sedimentation tank can be divided into different operating zones shown in Figure 4-2.

Figure 4-2 Typical section of a rectangular sedimentation tank showing operating zones

Inlet zone: The first part of the tank that regulates the uniform inflow to a horizontal flow into

the settling zone

Settling zone: Extension of the tank where discrete settling of suspended particles takes place

Outlet zone: Part where clean water is collected as effluent, by long and shallow weirs

Sludge zone: Zone at the bottom of the tank where sludge is scraped and collected

4.2.Silo/Shaped Sedimentation Tank

After settling through a series of small sedimentation tanks, cleaner effluent flows are

combined and pumped with the help of submersible pumps to the top of a larger sedimentation

structure, which can be referred to as a circular to conical shaped sedimentation tank, for further

decantation and better control.

This structure, commonly referred to as ‘circular sedimentation tank’ or ‘settling silo’, is

composed of different parts: 1) An inlet pipe from the side 2) Circular or cylindrical settling

zone 3) Conical shaped sludge holding hopper at the bottom, and 4) Clean water effluent (weirs



at the perimeters). Inflow of water is directed radially from the center towards the weir walls

to be collected. Circular sedimentation tanks can be classified as either center feed or periphery

feed depending on the location of the inlet structure. However, the mechanism is same in both

systems, in the sense that inflow of water is directed towards a vertical feed well inside the

structure. The bottom cone shaped geometry of the feed well will ensure radial flow of the

particles and provide them with the critical required speed to achieve efficient gravity settling

without exceeding a certain level. A flocculant is added to help the sedimentation process.

Clean water overflows at the effluent and is collected at the v-shaped weir walls at the top to

be reused for the purposes of the facility. Finally, due to the inclination of bottom cone shaped

hopper, sludge is forced to settle inside. At the bottom, the hopper is equipped with a pneumatic

automatic valve that opens automatically when a certain pressure is achieved. The whole

process is automatic and operated from a motor control room.

Figure 4-3 Cross sectional view of settlement silo



Figure 4-4 Top view of settlement silo

4.3.Filter Press

Sludge collected from the circular sedimentation tank is directed to a filter press for further

treatment (e.g. dewatering). A filter press receives batches of sludge and each operating cycle

lasts between 3 to 5 hours. The filter press consists of a series of steel plates covered with a

filter medium. Liquid sludge is introduced in the empty space between the plates and a

hydraulic or automatic system presses the plates together (to reach a max of 200 kPa). With

time, water is forced out (filtrate) and the solid filter cake starts to build up increasing both

pressure and efficiency of the filtration system (fine particles easily trapped).

Very clean water (filtrate) is collected from a channel to be reused for the purposes of the

facility. The system can be equipped with a flow sensor at the filtrate outlet to indicate whether

any water is still passing. The system is automatically shut down when filtrate flow ceases.

Filter cloth are cleaned from the filter cake after an average of 15 to 30 cycles.

Filter press is advantageous over other dewatering techniques in the sense that it produces high

quality filtrate, high efficiency in terms of solids retention, and lowest sludge moisture content

when compared to other techniques.

5. Methodology of the Water Audit

The assessment followed in this study incorporated a mix of quantitative and qualitative

methods. The methodology followed can be divided into the following two stages:

5.1.Data Acquisition and Site Inspection

A preliminary site visit (walk through survey) was conducted for each facility to inspect the

general conditions of the facility and to fill out a questionnaire. Information was obtained

through interviews with administrative and engineering personnel to identify. In general, the

questionnaire acquired information related to the following:



General operational practices:

Operating capacity

Operating hours per day

Operating days per week

Number of employees and residence of employees

Number of machines installed/ diameter of pipe installed on each machine

Area of facility/working areas

Water and wastewater management practices:

Source of fresh water

Uses of fresh water

Estimated water consumption (m3/day)

Presence/absence of water metering

Presence/absence of a connection to the sewerage system

Presence/absence of an on-site collection system for generated industrial wastewater

Presence/absence of a rainwater harvesting system

Description of the existing wastewater management system, if present

Frequency of sludge/slurry cleaning

Estimated water use for sludge/slurry cleaning

Presence/absence of incidents of pipes clogging and frequency of such incidents, if

present

Description of sludge management practices

Wastewater outlets from the audited facilities

Estimated water losses (Unaccounted for Water)

5.2.Water Mass Balance Analysis

For the technical evaluation of the existing wastewater management practices and the proposed

improvements, accurate flow measurement should be conducted. The analysis of water mass

balance in each facility is essential for the proper sizing of the proposed system and for its

proper efficiency.

Flow may be measured on an instantaneous or a continuous basis. The typical continuous

system consists of primary flow devices with sensors, recorder, and other components.

Whereas, the instantaneous flow measurements can be conducted by using a flow device. The

water audits in the marble and granite industries showed a little particularity due to the very

complex conditions in the facilities. The major difficulty in conducting continuous flow

measurements was because some industries relied on multiple sources of fresh water. For

example, one industry relied on nearby water streams with a variable seasonal flow, while other

relied on harvested rainwater…etc. Moreover, there is a huge variability in the operations as

marble and granite processing industries highly depend on market demands. Thus, water

consumption and wastewater generation rates are variable. Finally, in such industries, it is

difficult to quantify wastewater generation rates as wastewater includes contaminated storm

water runoff, cooling wastewater and in some cases dust suppression wastewater which are

challenging to quantitatively estimate.



Thus, the assessment was based on a volumetric flow measurement technique which is known

to be a simple yet accurate method for measuring flow. Basically, the technique involves the

measurement of volume and/or the measurement of time required to fill a tank with defined

dimensions. This technique is also known as a “bucket and stop watch technique” which is

particularly useful for low wastewater flows. In almost all audited facilities, wastewater

generated from all streams is discharged to the holding tanks via one or more outlets. Thus, the

flow is calculated by calculating the time required to fill a tank with defined dimensions. Three

consecutive measurements are made, and the results are then averaged. Based on the findings,

calculating water usage and estimating potential water and costs savings were done.

In the pre-development auditing phase, the water balance chart was generated after measuring

the quantity of fresh water consumed and the amount of wastewater leaving the facility.

Knowing that all the audited facility already have basic settlement tanks, wastewater entering

the basin was measured, and the quantity of sludge was estimated. In the post-development

auditing phase, the same measurements were repeated, in addition to the water leaving the filter

press. The treatment efficiency of the existing system was tested by measuring different

physiochemical parameters of the treated water. The same tests were repeated after the

implementation of the wastewater management system. The specific measurements and

calculation methods for each industry is presented in the water audit reports in the annexes of

this report.

Figure 5-1 Water balance

6. Summary of Auditing Results

Water audits were conducted for nine marble and granite processing facilities. This section

discusses the general outcomes of the audits. Detailed audit reports are prepared for each

industry and are presented in the annexes of this report.

Production

Process

Wastewater

Treatment Unit

Fresh water

Influent

WW

Losses in the

system

Sludge

Effluent

WW Recirculated

WW

Stone cuttings

Recirculated Water

Runoff



6.1.Pre-development Auditing Results (Previous Conditions in the Industries)

This section presents the results of the first auditing round conducted for the nine industries,

prior the project intervention and the installation of the wastewater treatment system (referred

to as pre-development phase).

6.1.1. Water Consumption

The marble and granite industries involve large quantities of water, most of which are reused.

The majority of marble and granite processing industries utilize basic physical treatment of the

generated water (i.e. simple solid–liquid separation, settlement basins). However, due to the

high demand of water for the industrial and low retention time in the treatment system,

improper application of coagulants, improper management practices...etc., the efficiency of the

wastewater treatment system is generally low. Therefore, fresh water is needed to make up for

all losses. The nine audited industries used to consume around 67800 m3/year. Six out of the

nine industries rely on surface and ground water resources to replenish water losses in their

system.

Table 3 Water consumption (Pre-development phase)

Daily Fresh Water consumption

(m3/day)

Annual Fresh Water

consumption (m3/year)

Ibrahim Mallah et Fils SAL 16 4800


“Rocky” 10 3000

National Marble Company S.A.L. 72 21600

Onyx for Trade and Industry 15 4500

Ste. Georges Najem and sons -

G.N.S. sarl. 16.5 4950

Usine Nationale Des Blocs Et

Carreaux (Boustany, Mallah &

Co. S.A.R.L.) 64 19200

Yazda 4.5 1200

Abdessater Marble Group SARL

(AMG) 2 600

Art & Decoration 26 3000

TOTAL 226 67800



Figure 2 Sources of fresh water

6.1.2. Wastewater Management

The audited marble and granite stone processing facilities generate high quantities of

wastewater which is high in turbidity. Seven out of the nine facilities which were audited have

a defined collection system which collects wastewater generated from the machinery cooling

activities. However, the majority of the audited facilities suffered from the inefficient and poor

operation of the available collection system due to regular clogging of the channels/pipes.

All industries have settlement tanks for the solid-liquid physical separation. Only three out of

the nine audited facilities have a shaped-settlement tank/silo. The effluent wastewater from the

industries’ sedimentation systems was tested. None of the industries had results compliant with

the national environmental limit values. The total suspended solids in water ranged from 550-

188,000 mg/L between the different industries, whereas the majority of the turbidity level

results were above 400 FTU (Table 6-1).

The results of the baseline study showed that the audited marble and granite industries were

having significant losses of water due to the poor drainage system, low efficiency of wastewater

treatment system, and poor sludge management practices.

Table 4 Physical characteristics of the reused water in the facilities

pH

COD

(mg/l)

TSS

(mg/l)

TDS

(mg/l)

Turbidity

(FTU)

Ibrahim Mallah and Fils Sal 7.5 30 4400 350 >400

Mohammaad Jaafar & Co. "Rocky" 7.5 1.5 8900 250 >400

National Marble Company S.A.L. 7.4 25 4100 720 >400

Onyx for Trade and Industry 7.9 20 31500 200 >400

Ste. Georges Najem and sons - G.N.S.

S.A.R.L. 7.9 35 188000 390 >400




Carreaux (Boustany, Mallah & Co.

S.A.R.L.)

7.6 20 1000 480 80

Yazda Company s.a.r.l. 7.7 25 550 270 70

AbdulSatter Marble Group 7.2 240 2140 900 >400

Art &Decoration 6.6 740 44000 480 >400

ELVs (Discharge in sewerage

network) 6-9 500 600 - -

It was found that in industries where wastewater treatment was highly inefficient, fugitive dust

emissions were present. The effluent water is recirculated and reused in the production process.

Water rich in suspended solids is a probable factor leading to the generation of fugitive dusts.

Moreover, the inefficiently treated water was leading to the clogging of the collection system

in the industries. Nevertheless, industries which were recirculating the inefficiently treated

water were facing challenges due to the buildup of slurry around the production area and thus

causing losses in the recovery rate of wastewater and hence leading to occupational health and

safety hazards (i.e. slipping floor…).

6.1.3. Sludge Management

All audited facilities used to manage sludge inefficiently. All industries previously held sludge

in outdoor storage areas for drying, except for one industry which used to discharge it directly

into the sewerage network.

Table 5 Quantity of disposed sludge (pre-development phase)

Quantity of sludge disposed

(m3/day)


(m3/year)

Ibrahim Mallah et Fils SAL 6.45 1935


“Rocky” 4.5 1350

National Marble Company S.A.L. 34.5 10350

Onyx for Trade and Industry 6 1800

Ste. Georges Najem and sons -

G.N.S. sarl. 13 3900


Carreaux (Boustany, Mallah &

Co. S.A.R.L.)

15 4500

Yazda 2 600

Abdessater Marble Group SARL

(AMG) 0.3 90

Art & Decoration 13 3900

TOTAL 94.75 28425

The sludge is getting exposed to changing weather conditions (i.e. wind, rainfall), and

consequently, it is impacting water, soil, and air quality in the areas. Six out of nine industries

are located in the close proximity to surface water bodies (Qaraoun lake, Nahr El Mott, seasonal

streams…etc.). Four out of the nine industries are located on a karstic system which is highly

permeable, increasing the risk on ground water resources.



Figure 3 Hydrogeology of audited project sites

Furthermore, the inefficient water and wastewater management is resulting in economic losses

namely losses due to:

Fresh water costs (water tankers…)

Machinery and equipment maintenance (changing of blades…) where the stone

powders in the water may cause polishing problems during the processing of natural

stone and may lead to clogging of pipes.

Management of sludge piles, where generated sludge is occupying space, and is

incurring on the facility operational costs (machineries operation such as bobcats…)

Labor costs and time spent on the management of poorly operating wastewater

treatment system.

The figures below show some of the main problems faced by the audited facilities, namely,

problems with the collection system, sludge management, indoor air quality and storm water

runoff.


Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon 17 Leb- Final Report-August2019

Mismanaged Collection system

Sludge Management



Fugitive Emissions

Stormwater Runoff

6.2.Post-Development Auditing Results

Post development audits were conducted to compare the impacts of the project intervention on

water consumption. Post-development audits have an important role in improving the future

performance and utility of the project. Moreover, this process of comparing predictions versus

actual or reflective assessment is of great importance to sustainability of projects (Sadler,

1988). For this purpose a post-water audit was performed for each of the nine industries in an

effort to conduct water consumption analysis and assess savings in water consumption.

6.2.1. Water Consumption

After the installation of the wastewater management system, high water savings were achieved

in the audited facilities, as shown in the table below.



Table 6 Percent reduction in water consumption (Post-development phase)

Pre-Development Phase Post-Development

Phase Quantity

of Water

Saved per

Day

(m3/day)

Quantity

of Water

Saved per

Year

(m3/year)

Percent

Water

Saving

(%)

Daily

Fresh

Water

consumpti

on

(m3/day)

Annual

Fresh

Water

consumpti

on

(m3/year)

Daily

Fresh

Water

consumpti

on

(m3/day)

Annual

Fresh

Water

consumpti

on

(m3/year)

Ibrahim

Mallah et

Fils SAL

16 4800 5.55 1665 10.45 3135 65.3

Mohamma

ad Jaafar

& Co.

“Rocky”

10 3000 2.95 885 7.05 2115 70

National

Marble

Company

S.A.L.

72 21600 17.31 5193 54.69 16407 76

Onyx for

Trade and

Industry

15 4500 4 1200 11 3300 73

Ste.

Georges

Najem and

sons -

G.N.S.

sarl.

16.5 4950 5.04 1512 11.46 3438 70

Usine

Nationale

Des Blocs

Et

Carreaux

(Boustany,

Mallah &

Co.

S.A.R.L.)

64 19200 29.87 8961 34.13 10239 53

Yazda 4.5 1200 1.6 480 2.9 870 64.4

Abdessater

Marble

Group

SARL

(AMG)

2 600 0.7 210 1.3 390 65

Art &

Decoration 26 3000 6.92 2076 19.08 5724 73.4

TOTAL 226 67800 73.94 22182 152.06 45618 -

Average - 67.7 %

6.2.2. Wastewater Management

The quality of the recirculated water enormously improved after the implementation of the

project. Improved water quality will reduce fugitive emissions in the industries, reduce

clogging in the collection system, reduce buildup of slurry around the production area and thus

increase the recovery rate of wastewater and hence control occupational health and safety

hazards (i.e. slipping floor…).



Considering that the major issues in marble and granite industries wastewater is the total

suspended solids (TSS), the table below compares TSS levels before and after implementation

of the project.

Table 7 Percent improvements in suspended solids level in water

TSS (mg/L)

Pre-development Phase

TSS (mg/L)

Post Development

Phase

Percent Improvement

(%)

Ibrahim Mallah et Fils

SAL 4400 <5 99.8

Mohammaad Jaafar &

Co. “Rocky” 8900 600 93.2

National Marble

Company S.A.L. 4100 <5 99.8

Onyx for Trade and

Industry 31500 670 97.8

Ste. Georges Najem and

sons - G.N.S. sarl. 188000 200 99.8

Usine Nationale Des

Blocs Et Carreaux

(Boustany, Mallah & Co.

S.A.R.L.)

1000 90 91

Yazda 550 250 54.5

Abdessater Marble

Group SARL (AMG) 2140 190 91.1

Art & Decoration 44000 440 99

Average 31621 272 91.8

6.2.3. Sludge Management

The installation of filter presses in the nine industries have improved the management of

sludge. The table below presents the percent reduction in the quantity of sludge disposed in the

surrounding lands, rivers and sewerage network.

Table 8 Percent reduction in quantities of sludge (post-development phase)

Pre-Development Phase Post-Development

Phase Quantity

of Sludge

Reduced

per day

(m3/day)

Quantity

of Sludge

Reduced

per Year

(m3/year)

Percent

Reduction

in Sludge

Quantities

(%)

Daily

Quantities

of sludge

generated

(m3/day)

Annual

Quantities

of sludge

generated

(m3/year)

Daily

Quantities

of sludge

generated

(m3/day)

Annual

Quantities

of sludge

generated

(m3/year)

Ibrahim

Mallah et

Fils SAL

6.45 1935 1.9 570 4.55 1365 70.5

Mohamma

ad Jaafar

& Co.

“Rocky”

4.5 1350 0.45 135 4.05 1215 90

National

Marble

Company

S.A.L.

34.5 10350 6.9 2070 27.6 8280 80



Onyx for

Trade and

Industry

6 1800 0.53 159 5.47 1641 91.1

Ste.

Georges

Najem and

sons -

G.N.S.

sarl.

13 3900 4 1200 9 2700 69.2

Usine

Nationale

Des Blocs

Et

Carreaux

(Boustany,

Mallah &

Co.

S.A.R.L.)

15 4500 2.88 864 12.12 3636 80.8

Yazda 2 600 0.8 240 1.2 360 60

Abdessater

Marble

Group

SARL

(AMG)

0.3 90 0.035 10.5 0.265 79.5 88.3

Art &

Decoration 13 3900 1.04 312 11.96 3588 92

TOTAL 94.75 28425 18.535 5560.5 76.21 22864.5

Average 80.2

7. Summary of Project Results

Based on the auditing results, water savings were achieved through the optimization of the

collection/drainage system in the operation area, the installation of two-staged physical

settlement, the recovery of the water content in the produced sludge and the generally good

management practices.

The improvements of the water management practices in the nine audited facilities led to a

water saving of around 45618 m3 per year (67.7%). Moreover, the project contributed to the

efficient and proper management of 22864.5 m3 per year, which were previously open dumped

and were causing catastrophic environmental impacts.

Concerning the improvements in the water quality, the quality of the recirculated water

enormously improved after the implementation of the project. Improved water quality will

reduce fugitive emissions in the industries, reduce clogging in the collection system, reduce

buildup of slurry around the production area and thus increase the recovery rate of wastewater

and hence control occupational health and safety hazards (i.e. slipping floor…).

Summary of the project results are shown in the graphs below.



Figure 4 Summary of project results (1)

Figure 5 Summary of project results (2)



8. References

Andreoli, C. V., Von Sperling, M., Fernandes, F., & Ronteltap, M. (2017). Sludge

treatment and disposal. IWA publishing.

Bresters, A. R., Coulomb, I., Matter, B., Saabye, A., Spinosa, L., & Utvik, Å. (1997).

Management Approaches and Experiences: Sludge Treatment and Disposal.

Environmental Issues Series 7 European Environment Agency, Copenhagen, Denmark, 54.

Ersoy, B., Tosun, I., Günay, A., & Dikmen, S. (2009). Turbidity removal from

wastewaters of natural stone processing by coagulation/flocculation methods. CLEAN

Soil, Air, Water, 37(3), 225-232.

Fahiminia, M., Ardani, R., Hashemi, S., & Alizadeh, M. (2013). Wastewater treatment of

stone cutting industries by coagulation process.

Hanieh, A. A., AbdElall, S., & Hasan, A. (2014). Sustainable development of stone and

marble sector in Palestine. Journal of cleaner production, 84, 581-588.

Industry, N. S. (2009). Best Practices of the Natural Stone Industry.

Sadler, B. (1988) The evaluation of assessment: post-EIS research and process

development, in: P. Wathern (Ed) Environmental Impact Assessment: Theory and

Practice (London, Unwin Hyman).

Taşdemir, T., & Kurama, H. (2013). Fine particle removal from natural stone processing

effluent by flocculation. Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy, 32(2), 317-324.

United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (1974). Granite Industry

Wastewater Treatment. EPA-660/2-74-040.

ANNEX 01

Annex 01

Post- Development Water Audit Report Ibrahim Mallah et Fils S.A.L.

Nahr El Mott-Jdaideh

March 2019

Table of Contents

Executive Summary ................................................................................................................. iii 1. Background Information .................................................................................................. iii 2. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 4 3. Scope of Work ................................................................................................................... 4

4. Summary of Water Audit in the Pre-Development Phase ................................................. 4 5. Developed Improvements in Wastewater Management Systems ...................................... 6 6. Water Balance (Post- Development) ................................................................................. 8 7. Conclusion and Recommendations .................................................................................. 10 8. References ........................................................................................................................ 11

List of Figures

Figure 1 Major audit results ...................................................................................................... iv Figure 2 Pre- development water balance .................................................................................. 5 Figure 3 Schematic flowchart of the wastewater management system ..................................... 6 Figure 4 Settling pond ................................................................................................................ 7

Figure 5Installed settlement silo and filter press ....................................................................... 7

Figure 7 Post- development water balance ................................................................................ 9

List of Tables

Table 1 Summary of audits results........................................................................................... iii

Table 2General Information ..................................................................................................... iii Table 3 General information about the audited facility ............................................................. 5

Table 4 Pre-development audit findings .................................................................................... 5 Table 5 Analysis of the existing wastewater treatment effluent ................................................ 8

Table 6 Summary of Calculations.............................................................................................. 8

WELI Annex 01- Ibrahim Mallah et Fils SAL

Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon iii Leb- Jdaideh–Water Audit-March 2019

Executive Summary

The marble and granite processing industry is known to be a major consumer of water.

Accordingly, significant quantities of wastewater are generated during the production process

namely, contaminated storm water runoff, and machinery cooling wastewater. The aim of this

work is to assess the water consumption and wastewater generation rates in a stone and

marble cutting industry located in Nahr El Mott (Ibrahim Mallah et Fils SAL) after the

implementation of a suggested wastewater management system. The system includes a two-

staged settlement process (settlement ponds and shaped settlement tanks), followed by filter

press for the water recovery from the generated sludge.

For this purpose, a post-water audit was performed in an effort to conduct water consumption

analysis and assess savings in water consumption. After analyzing the audit findings and

observations, the implemented wastewater treatment system proved to be efficient in

reducing fresh water consumption, improving the quality of water used and decreasing the

quantity of sludge disposed. Around 65.3% reduction in fresh water consumption was

measured. Moreover, the quality of water being recirculated improved significantly in terms

of the level of turbidity and suspended solids in the water. Finally, sludge was properly

managed and the quantity of sludge being disposed was reduced by 70%.

The major improvements in the water management of the facility are summarized in the table

and figures below.

Table 1 Summary of audits results

Pre-Development Audit Post-Development Audit

Quantity of fresh water

consumed 16 m3/day 5.55 m3/day

Quantity of water recirculated

and reused in the system 154.8 m3/day 159.3 m3/day

Unaccounted for Water (losses

in the system) 10.9 m3/day 5 m3/day

Quantity of sludge disposed 6.45 m3/day 1.935 m3/day

Quantity of water recovered

from sludge 0 4.515 m3/day

Quality of water used (Total

suspended solids in water)* 4400 mg/l <5 mg/l

Number of hours spent on

cleaning activities

1 time/week (1-2 workers are

involved) 1 time/month (1 worker involved)

* MoE ELVs is 600mg/L (Decision 8/1 dated 2001)


Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon iv Leb- Jdaideh–Water Audit-March 2019

Figure I Recorded improvements

Figure 1 Major audit results


Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon iii Leb- Jdaideh–Water Audit-March 2019

1. Background Information

This section of the audit outlines the facility’s name and details, audit date, and auditor’s

information.

Table 2General Information

Company Information

Name Ibrahim Mallah et Fils SAL (IMF)

Address

Phone Number

Email

Name

Position

Email

Phone Number

Environmental Consulting Firm

Compiler of the report Geoflint s.a.r.l

Audit team

Khalil Zein, Environmental Auditor

Nour Mucharafieh, Environmental Auditor (conducted the

audit)

Elie El Khoury Environmental Auditor (conducted the audit)

Audit time frame The audits were conducted during the period of November

2017 to April 2019

Audit limitations

Time constraints.

Uncertainty in measurements procedures.

Presence of subjectivity during impact significance

assessment.

Lack of references about environmental impacts and

resource use

Brief Description of the Study Methodology

Sampling and measurements

Quantitative/Qualitative assessments of major inputs and

outputs at different stages of the production processing have

been conducted, namely to:

Water consumption (m3/ year)

Solid waste quantity- mainly sludge (tons/year)

Wastewater treatment unit: efficiency


Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon 4 Leb- Jdaideh–Water Audit-March 2019

2. Introduction

Natural stones (such as marble, granite…etc.) are materials which have been extensively used

for a variety of building applications since ancient times. This reflects the belief that stones

are sustainable and durable material for construction works (Taşdemir, Kurama, 2013).


Significant quantities of water are consumed to cool the saws during the production process

and to polish the final product. Accordingly, significant quantities of wastewater is generated

during the production process namely, contaminated storm water runoff, and machinery

cooling wastewater. Major environmental concerns are associated with the generated

wastewater considering its high alkalinity, and high levels of Total Suspended Solids (TSS).

Fine particles (<0.2 mm) are generated during the cutting and polishing processes, where

around 25-40% of the weight of the block is produced as fine particles during the cutting

process. Thus, large amounts of water is used to capture the produced particles (Taşdemir,

Kurama, 2013). In general, wastewater is treated by simple solid–liquid separation and is then

reused in the process. If the turbidity of the reused water is higher than acceptable values, the

stone powders in the water may cause polishing problems during the processing of natural

stone and may lead to clogging of pipes. Consequently, the maximum (residual) turbidity of

the clean water should be less than 15 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) (Ersoy, Tosun,

et al., 2009).

Moreover, if the generated wastewater is not managed properly, it would negatively affect the

physical, biological and chemical characteristics of both the local water and soil quality,

resulting in inevitable implications on both the environment and the public health. In this

context, a water audit was conducted for the marble and granite processing facility in Nahr El

Mott (Ibrahim Mallah et Fils SAL) in order to assess the water consumption within the

facility and to identify opportunities to improve water use efficiency.

3. Scope of Work

The aim of this post development audit is to compare the impacts of water consumption that

were assessed in the environmental audit conducted prior to project implementation with

those that actually arose after the implementation of the proposed interventions. Post-

development audit has an important role in improving the future performance and utility of

the project. Moreover, this process of comparing predictions versus actual or reflective

assessment is of great importance to sustainability of projects (Sadler, 1988).

This work will assess water consumption and wastewater generation rates after the

implementation of the wastewater management systems. For this purpose a post-water audit

was performed in an effort to conduct water consumption analysis and assess savings in water

consumption.

4. Summary of Water Audit in the Pre-Development Phase

The table below summarizes general information and description of the audited facility.

These data were provided by the manager of the audited facility during the initial site visit.



Table 3 General information about the audited facility

Capacity 50000-60000 m2/year

Number of Machines 12

Operating days per year 300 days/year

Operating hours/day 8 hours/day

Table 4 Pre-development audit findings

Water Source Public water source

Water tankers

Wastewater characteristics High levels of TSS, and turbidity

Wastewater Infrastructure Canals and bunds to collect the wastewater

Settlement pond (2)

Sludge Management Openly disposed

Cleaning of settlement tank schedule 1 time/week (1-2 workers are involved)

Fresh water consumption 16 m3/day

Recirculated wastewater 154.8 m3/day

Un-Accounted for Water 10.9 m3/day

Sludge Generated 6.45 m3/day

Figure 2 Pre- development water balance

Production

Process

Wastewater

Treatment Unit

Quantity of fresh

water entering the

processing plant

Influent

WW

Losses in the

system

Effluent

WW Recirculated

WW

Stone cuttings

Recirculated Water

Runoff

1.45 m3/d

16 m3/d

Sludge

6.45 m3/d

154.8 m3/d 161.3 m3/d

154.8 m3/d

10.9 m3/d



5. Developed Improvements in Wastewater Management

Systems

Ibrahim Mallah et Fils S.A.L. implemented the suggested wastewater management system

which includes a two-staged settlement process (settlement ponds and shaped settlement

tanks), followed by filter press for the water recovery from the generated sludge. A filter

press was recently installed to recover water from the generated sludge.

Figure 3 Schematic flowchart of the wastewater management system

The treatment of wastewater is done via two steps. The first step is the settling pond where

the heavy particles present in the wastewater are left to settle naturally. After this step the

wastewater is pumped into a cylindrical settling tank where a coagulant (acrylamid) is added,

thus the process of coagulation and flocculation takes place. The structure of the cylindrical

settling tank/silo is designed in a way to enhance the process of flocs settling. The capacity of

the cylindrical settling tank in this audited facility is 45m3 (Figure 5). Finally the treated

wastewater is transferred to a storage tank behind the processing area where it is then reused

in the production process.



Figure 4 Settling pond

Figure 5Installed settlement silo and filter press



Sludge collected from the bottom of the settlement silo is directed to a filter press for further

treatment, namely dewatering. A filter press receives batches of sludge and each operating

cycle lasts around 10 minutes. The filter press consists of a series of 12 plates covered with a

filter medium (500mm x 500mm x 30mm). Liquid sludge is introduced in the empty space

between the plates and a hydraulic or automatic system presses the plates. With time, the

filtrate is forced out and the solid filter cake starts to build up increasing both pressure and

efficiency of the filtration system (fine particles easily trapped). The system is automatically

shut down when filtrate flow ceases.

The efficiency of the existing wastewater treatment system has improved after the installation

of the filter press. Samples were collected from the water leaving the wastewater treatment

system on March 12, 2019. The results are presented in the Table 5.

Table 5 Analysis of the existing wastewater treatment effluent

Parameters Results

(Pre-development)

Results

(Post-development)

ELVs (Decision 8/1

dated 2001)

pH 7.6 8.8 7-9

Chemical Oxygen

Demand COD (mg/l) 20 250 500

Total Suspended Solids

(mg/l) 4400 <5 600

Total Dissolved Solids

(mg/l) 480 390 -

Turbidity (FTU) 80 15 15*

Oil and Grease (mg/l) 5

*Ersoy, Tosun, et al., 2009

6. Water Balance (Post- Development)

After installation of the filter press, fresh water consumption was reduced mainly due to the

improvements in the efficiency of the treatment system and the recovery of the water present

in the sludge.

Around 10.5 m3/day were saved from the implementation of the wastewater treatment

system. Furthermore, 70 % of the sludge is being recovered and reintroduced into the water

balance.

The following table represents a summary of calculations that were used to establish the post-

development water balance diagram.

Table 6 Summary of calculations Flow rate (m3/day)

Fresh water consumption 5.55

Recirculated water 159.3

Total water consumption 164.85

Stone cuttings 1.45

Un-Accounted for Water 5

Influent Wastewater 161.3

Sludge Cake Generated 1.935

Water recovered from sludge treatment 4.515



In addition, a water balance diagram was generated in order to present the quantities of water

entering and leaving the whole system. The diagram also accounts for the quantities of water

lost and gained in the system.

Figure 6 Post- development water balance

Production

Process

Wastewater

Treatment Unit

Quantity of fresh

water entering the

processing plant

Influent

WW

Losses in the

system

Effluent

WW Recirculated

WW

Stone cuttings

Recirculated Water

Runoff

1.45 m3/d

5.55 m3/d

1.935 m3/d

154.8 m3/d 161.3 m3/d

159.3 m3/d

5 m3/d

Sludge cake Dewatered Sludge

4.515 m3/d



7. Conclusion and Recommendations

After analyzing the audit findings and observations, the implemented wastewater treatment

system proved to be efficient in reducing fresh water consumption, improving the quality of

water used and decreasing the quantity of sludge disposed. Around 65.3% reduction in fresh

water consumption was measured. Moreover, the quality of water being recirculated

improved significantly in terms of the level of turbidity and suspended solids in the water.

Improving the quality of water reduced machinery and equipment maintenance (changing of

blades…) where the stone powders in the water may cause polishing problems during the

processing of natural stone and may lead to clogging of pipes. Finally, sludge was properly


The improvements in the efficiency of water and wastewater management is also resulting in

economic benefits due to reductions in:


Machinery and equipment maintenance (changing of blades…)




treatment system.

Nevertheless, several recommendations were identified to further improve environmental

management in the proposed facility. These recommendations are summarized below.

Consider rain water harvesting

Improve the efficiency of the wastewater treatment plant by:

o Applying the optimal dose and type of coagulant

o Inspecting the influent and effluent flow rates on a regular basis

Maintain or improve wastewater collection channels (i.e. increase height of sloping

sides) to avoid loss of water to the open ground

Regularly inspect the wastewater canals and bunds to prevent blockages



8. References

Ersoy, B., Tosun, I., Günay, A., & Dikmen, S. (2009). Turbidity removal from wastewaters

of natural stone processing by coagulation/flocculation methods. CLEAN–Soil, Air,

Water, 37(3), 225-232.






ANNEX 02

Annex 02

Post- Development Water Audit Report Mohammaad Jaafar & Co. "Rocky"

Ain El Sifsafeh – Aley

January 2019

Table of Contents

Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................... iii 1. Background Information ........................................................................................................ iii 2. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 4

3. Scope of Work ........................................................................................................................ 4 4. Summary of Water Audit in the Pre-Development Phase ...................................................... 4 5. Developed Improvements in Wastewater Management Systems ........................................... 6 6. Water Balance (Post- Development) ...................................................................................... 9 7. Conclusion and Recommendations ....................................................................................... 11

8. References ............................................................................................................................. 12

List of Figures

Figure 1 Major audit results ........................................................................................................... iv

Figure 2 Pre-development Water balance ....................................................................................... 5 Figure 3 Schematic flowchart of the wastewater management system .......................................... 6 Figure 4Bunds in the processing area ............................................................................................. 7

Figure 5 Settling pond ..................................................................................................................... 7 Figure 6 Installed settlement silo .................................................................................................... 8

Figure 7Design and dimension of the current cylindrical settling tank .......................................... 8 Figure 8 Installed filter press .......................................................................................................... 9 Figure 9 Water balance (post-development) ................................................................................. 10

List of Tables

Table 1 Summary of audits results................................................................................................. iii

Table 2 General Information .......................................................................................................... iii Table 3General information about the audited facility ................................................................... 5

Table 4 Pre-development audit findings ......................................................................................... 5 Table 5 Analysis of the existing wastewater treatment effluent ..................................................... 9 Table 6 Summary of Calculations................................................................................................. 10

file:///D:/Documents/Studies/WELI-%20Water%20efficiency%20in%20marble%20and%20granite%20industry/Post%20Audit%20REPORTS/Annex%2002-%20Mohammaad%20Jaafar%20&%20Co.%20Rocky/Annex%2002-%20Mohammad%20Jaafar%20&%20Co.%20Rocky.docx%23_Toc3816564

file:///D:/Documents/Studies/WELI-%20Water%20efficiency%20in%20marble%20and%20granite%20industry/Post%20Audit%20REPORTS/Annex%2002-%20Mohammaad%20Jaafar%20&%20Co.%20Rocky/Annex%2002-%20Mohammad%20Jaafar%20&%20Co.%20Rocky.docx%23_Toc3816571

WELI Annex 02- Mohammad Jaafar & Co.

Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon iii Leb- Ain El Sifsafeh –Water Audit-Feb 2019

Executive Summary




work is to assess the water consumption and wastewater generation rates in a stone and marble

cutting industry located in Ain El Sifsafeh (Mohammaad Jaafar & Co. “Rocky”) after the

implementation of a proposed wastewater management system. The system includes a two-



For this purpose a post-water audit was performed in an effort to conduct water consumption


observations, the implemented wastewater treatment system proved to be efficient in reducing

fresh water consumption, improving the quality of water used and decreasing the quantity of

sludge disposed. Around 70% reduction in fresh water consumption was measured. Moreover,

the quality of water being recirculated improved significantly in terms of the level of turbidity

and suspended solids in the water. Finally, sludge was properly managed and the quantity of

sludge being disposed was reduced by 90%. The major improvements in the water management

of the facility are summarized in the table and figures below.





Quantity of water

recirculated and reused in

the system

373.2 m3/day 377.25 m3/day

Unaccounted for Water

(losses in the system) 8.7 m3/day 5.7 m3/day

Quantity of sludge

disposed 4.5 m3/day 0.45 m3/day

Quantity of water

recovered from sludge 0 4.05 m3/day

Quality of water used

(Total suspended solids in

water)*

8900 mg/L 600 mg/L

Number of days spent on

cleaning activities

1-2 times/week (3-4 workers

are involved)

1 time /2 weeks (1 worker

involved) * MoE ELVs is 600mg/L (Decision 8/1 dated 2001)


Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon iv Leb- Ain El Sifsafeh –Water Audit-Feb 2019



10

4.5

8.7

2.95

0.45

5.7

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Fresh water consumption

(m3/day)


(m3/day)

Un-accounted for water

(m3/day)

Before Intervention

After Intervention


Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon iii Leb- Ain El Sifsafeh –Water Audit-Feb 2019



information.

Table 2 General Information

Company Information

Name Mohammaad Jaafar & Co. "Rocky"

Address

Coordinates

Phone Number

Company Contact Person

Name

Position

Phone Number



Audit team



audit)

Sania El Nakib, Water and Environment Specialist (conducted

the audit)

Audit time frame The audits were conducted during the period of November 2017

to April 2019.

Audit limitations

Time constraints.


Lack of records and data related to water consumption and

wastewater generation.


Sampling and

measurements






Quantity of dewatered sludge (m3/day)

Wastewater treatment unit efficiency


Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon 4 Leb- Ain El Sifsafeh –Water Audit-Feb 2019

2. Introduction


















et al., 2009).




context, a water audit was conducted for the marble and granite processing facility in Ain El

Sifsafeh (Mohammaad Jaafar & Co. "Rocky") in order to assess the water consumption

within the facility and to identify opportunities to improve water use efficiency.

3. Scope of Work










consumption.






Table 3General information about the audited facility

Facility Area 3500 m2

Capacity 21,000 to 30,000 m2/year



Operating hours/day 8-10 hours/day


Water Source Water tankers, local seasonal stream


Wastewater Infrastructure

Canals and bunds to collect the wastewater

Settlement pond

Settlement silo

Sludge Management Mixed with fresh water and directed into the

seasonal stream/or collected with delivery

truck and openly disposed

Cleaning of settlement tank schedule 1-2 times/week (3-4 workers are involved)





Production

Process

Wastewater

Treatment Unit

Quantity of fresh

water entering the

processing plant

Influent

WW

Losses in the

system

Effluent

WW Recirculated

WW

Stone cuttings

Recirculated Water

Runoff

3.25 m3/d

10 m3/d

Sludge

4.5 m3/d

373.2 m3/d 377.7 m3/d

373.2 m3/d

8.7 m3/d

Figure 2 Pre-development Water balance




Systems

Mohammad Jaafar & Co. implemented the suggested wastewater management system which

includes a two-staged settlement process (settlement ponds and shaped settlement tanks),

followed by filter press for the water recovery from the generated sludge. A filter press was

recently installed to recover water from the generated sludge.







the cylindrical settling tank in this audited facility is 36 m3. Finally the treated wastewater is

transferred to a storage tank behind the processing area where it is then reused in the

production process.



Figure 4Bunds in the processing area




Figure 6 Installed settlement silo

Figure 7Design and dimension of the current cylindrical settling tank




filter medium (800mm x 800mm). Liquid sludge is introduced in the empty space between

the plates and a hydraulic or automatic system presses the plates. With time, the filtrate is



forced out and the solid filter cake starts to build up increasing both pressure and efficiency

of the filtration system (fine particles easily trapped). The system is automatically shut down

when filtrate flow ceases.

Figure 8 Installed filter press



system on March 27, 2018, and on January 24, 2019 (after installation of the filter press). The

results are presented in the Table 5-1.


Parameters Results

(Pre-development)

Results

(Post-development)

ELVs (Decision 8/1

dated 2001)

pH 7.5 8.6 7-9

Chemical Oxygen

Demand COD (mg/l) 1.5 30 500


(mg/l) 8900 600 600


(mg/l) 250 270 -







in the sludge.



Around 3.6 m3 were saved from the dilution of sludge process, previously conducted to

facilitate discharge in the network. Furthermore, 90% of the sludge is being recovered and

reintroduced into the water balance.



Table 6 Summary of Calculations

Flow rate m3/day




Stone cuttings 3.25

Un-Accounted for Water 5.7







Production

Process

Wastewater

Treatment Unit

Quantity of fresh

water entering the

processing plant

Influent

WW

Losses in the

system

Effluent

WW Recirculated

WW

Stone cuttings

Recirculated Water

Runoff

3.25 m3/d

2.95 m3/d

Dewatered Sludge

4.05 m3/d

373.2 m3/d 377.7 m3/d

377.25 m3/d

Figure 9 Water balance (post-development)

5.7 m3/d

Sludge cake

0.45 m3/d






water used and decreasing the quantity of sludge disposed. Around 70% reduction in fresh














treatment system.












8. References



Water, 37(3), 225-232.






ANNEX 03

Annex 03

Post- Development Water Audit Report National Marble Company S.A.L.

Watta Msaytbeh- Beirut

March 2019

WELI Annex 03- National Marble Company SAL

Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon 2 Leb- Watta Msaytbeh –Water Audit-April 2018

Table of Contents

1. Background Information .................................................................................................... 3 2. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 6 3. Scope of Work ................................................................................................................... 6

4. Summary of Water Audit in the Pre-Development Phase ................................................. 6 5. Developed Improvements in Wastewater Management Systems ...................................... 8 6. Water Balance (Post- Development) ............................................................................... 11 7. Conclusion and Recommendations .................................................................................. 12 8. References ........................................................................................................................ 14

List of Figures

Figure 1 Major audit results ....................................................................................................... 4

Figure 4-1Water balance (pre-development audit-April 2018) ................................................. 7

Figure 5-1 Schematic flowchart of the wastewater management system .................................. 8 Figure 5-2 Settlement pond (1) .................................................................................................. 9

Figure 5-3 Settlement pond (2) .................................................................................................. 9 Figure 5-4 Schematic drawing of the installed settlement silo ................................................ 10 Figure 5-5 Installed settlement silo at National Marble Company .......................................... 10 Figure 5-6 Installed filter press ................................................................................................ 11

Figure 6-1Water balance (Post-development- January 2019) ................................................. 12

List of Tables

Table 1-1General Information ................................................................................................... 5 Table 4-1 General information about the audited facility .......................................................... 7

Table 4-2 Pre-development audit findings ................................................................................. 7



Executive Summary





cutting industry located in Watta Msaytbeh (National Marble Company SAL) after the

implementation of a proposed wastewater management system. The system includes a two-










sludge being disposed was reduced by 80%. The major improvements in the water management

of the facility are summarized in the table and figures below.





Quantity of water

recirculated and reused

in the system

827.7 m3/day 855.3 m3/day

Unaccounted for Water

(losses in the system) 45.3 m3/day 18.06 m3/day

Quantity of sludge

disposed 34.5 m3/day 6.9 m3/day

Quantity of water

recovered from sludge 0 27.6 m3/day


(Total suspended solids in

water)*

4100 mg/L <5 mg/L

Number of days spent on

cleaning activities

1 /week (4 workers are

involved)

1 time /month (1 worker

involved) * MoE ELVs is 600mg/L (Decision 8/1 dated 2001)









information.

Table 1-1General Information

Company Information

Name National Marble Company SAL

Address

Geographic Location

Phone Number

Email


Name

Position

Email

Phone Number



Audit team



audit)


2017 to April 2019.

Audit limitations

Time constraints.


Lack of records and data related to water consumption

and wastewater generation. .










Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon 6 Leb- Watta Msaytbeh –Water Audit-Jan.2019

2. Introduction

Marble and granite processing industry is known to be a major consumer of water. Significant

quantities of water are consumed to cool the saws during the production process and to polish

the final product. Accordingly, significant quantities of wastewater is generated during the

production process namely, contaminated storm water runoff, and machinery cooling

wastewater. Major environmental concerns are associated with the generated wastewater

considering its high alkalinity, and high levels of Total Suspended Solids (TSS). Fine particles

(<0.2 mm) are generated during the cutting and polishing processes, where around 25-40% of

the weight of the block is produced as fine particles during the cutting process. Thus, large

amounts of water is used to capture the produced particles (Taşdemir, Kurama, 2013). In

general, wastewater is treated by simple solid–liquid separation and is then reused in the

process. If the turbidity of the reused water is higher than acceptable values, the stone powders

in the water may cause polishing problems during the processing of natural stone and may lead

to clogging of pipes. Consequently, the maximum (residual) turbidity of the clean water should

be less than 15 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) (Ersoy, Tosun, et al., 2009).




context, a water audit was conducted for the marble and granite processing facility in Watta

Msaytbeh (National Marble Company SAL) in order to assess the water consumption within

the facility and to identify opportunities to improve water use efficiency.

This audited facility is of Category I as the wastewater management system requires the

installation of a shaped sedimentation tank (settlement silo) and a filter press for the

management of sludge.

3. Scope of Work


were assessed in the environmental audit conducted prior to project implementation with those

that actually arose after the implementation of the proposed interventions. Post-development

audit has an important role in improving the future performance and utility of the project.

Moreover, this process of comparing predictions versus actual or reflective assessment is of

great importance to sustainability of projects (Sadler, 1988).




consumption.


The table below summarizes general information and description of the audited facility. These

data were provided by the manager of the audited facility during the initial site visit.



Table 4-1 General information about the audited facility


Capacity 2100 m2/year




Table 4-2 Pre-development audit findings

Water Source Public water source




Settlement pond (1) composed of 3

chambers

Settlement pond (2) composed of 4

chambers

Sludge Management Directed into the sewerage network

Cleaning of settlement tank schedule Once a week (4 workers are involved)





Figure 4-1Water balance (pre-development audit-April 2018)

Production

Process

Wastewater

Treatment Unit

Quantity of fresh

water entering the

processing plant

Influent

WW

Losses in the system

Effluent

WW Recirculated

WW

Stone cuttings

Recirculated Water

Runoff

7.65 m3/d

72 m3/d

Sludge

34.5 m3/d

827.7 m3/d 862.2 m3/d

827.7 m3/d

45.3 m3/d




Systems

National Marble Company SAL implemented the suggested wastewater management system


tanks), followed by filter press for the water recovery from the generated sludge.

Figure 5-1 Schematic flowchart of the wastewater management system

The water discharged in the working areas is initially directed into the settlement tanks. The

facility has two settlement tanks as described below.

Settlement pond (1) receives wastewater generated from two machineries: Gang Saw

(30 blades) and gang saw (15 blades). It is composed of 2 chambers each with 1.5m x

1.5m x 1.5m dimensions. The second chamber has a submersible pump which transfers

the water to a third tank of 3m x 3m x 2 m dimension. The third tank is used as a “clean”

water supply tank for the two gang saws.



Figure 5-2 Settlement pond (1)

Settlement pond (2) receives wastewater generated from the polisher, gang saw (80

blades) and the three bridge cutters. It is composed of 4 chambers. Each of the first

three chamber has the following dimensions: 4m x 1.5m x 1.5m. The fourth chamber

underground and has the following dimensions: 7m x 4m x 2.7m. A submersible pump

is installed in the fourth chamber to pump the water into a fifth clean water tank that

supplies the machinery. The dimensions of the fifth holding tank is 4m x 4m x 2.5m.

Figure 5-3 Settlement pond (2)

After settling through a series of small sedimentation tanks, cleaner effluent flows are

combined and pumped to the installed shaped sedimentation tank, for further decantation and

better control. This structure, referred to as ‘settling silo’, is composed of different parts: 1) An

inlet pipe from the side 2) Circular or cylindrical settling zone 3) Conical shaped sludge holding

hopper at the bottom, and 4) Clean water effluent outlet (weirs at the perimeters). Inflow of

water is directed radially from the center towards the weir walls to be collected. The bottom

cone shaped geometry of the feed well will ensure radial flow of the particles and provide them

with the critical required speed to achieve efficient gravity settling without exceeding a certain

level. Finally, due to the inclination of bottom cone shaped hopper, sludge is forced to settle

inside. At the bottom, the hopper is equipped with a pneumatic automatic valve that opens

automatically when a certain pressure is achieved. The whole process is automatic and operated

from a motor control room. The silo has the dimensions shown in Figure 5-4.



Figure 5-4 Schematic drawing of the installed settlement silo

Figure 5-5 Installed settlement silo at National Marble Company



cycle lasts between 15 minutes. The filter press consists of a series of 15 plates covered with a



filter medium (630mm x 630mm). Liquid sludge is introduced in the empty space between the

plates and a hydraulic or automatic system presses the plates. With time, the filtrate is forced

out and the solid filter cake starts to build up increasing both pressure and efficiency of the

filtration system (fine particles easily trapped).

The filtrate is collected and reused for the purposes of the facility. The system is automatically


Figure 5-6 Installed filter press



system on March 21, 2018, and on January 18, 2019 (after installation of the filter press). The

results are presented in the Table 5-1.

Table 5-1 Analysis of the existing wastewater treatment effluent

Parameters Results

(Pre-development)

Results

(Post-development)

ELVs (Decision 8/1

dated 2001)

pH 7.4 8.9 7-9

Chemical Oxygen



(mg/l) 4100 <5 600


(mg/l) 720 550 -

Turbidity (FTU) 400 <2 15*






in the sludge.



Around 27.6 m3 were saved from the dilution of sludge process, previously conducted to





Table 6-1 Summary of Calculations

Flow rate m3/day




Stone cuttings 7.65






entering and leaving the whole system. The diagram below also accounts for the quantities of

water lost and gained in the system.

Figure 6-1Water balance (Post-development- January 2019)




water used and decreasing the quantity of sludge disposed. Around 76 % reduction in fresh

water consumption was measured. Moreover, the quality of water being recirculated improved

significantly in terms of the level of turbidity and suspended solids in the water. Improving

Production

Process

Wastewater

Treatment Unit

Quantity of fresh

water entering the

processing plant

Influent

WW

Losses in the

system

Effluent

WW Recirculated

WW

Stone cuttings

Recirculated Water

Runoff

7.65 m3/d

17.31 m3/d

Dewatered Sludge

27.6 m3/d

827.7 m3/d 377.7 m3/d

855.3 m3/d

18.06 m3/d

Sludge cake

6.9 m3/d



the quality of water reduced machinery and equipment maintenance (changing of blades…)

where the stone powders in the water may cause polishing problems during the processing of

natural stone and may lead to clogging of pipes. Finally, sludge was properly managed and the

quantity of sludge being disposed was reduced by 80%.








treatment system.












8. References

Sadler, B. (1988) The evaluation of assessment: post-EIS research and process development,

in: P. Wathern (Ed) Environmental Impact Assessment: Theory and Practice (London, Unwin

Hyman).

ANNEX 04

Annex 04

Post- Development Water Audit Report Onyx for Trade and Industry

Qernayel- Baabda

March 2019

Table of Contents



List of Figures

Figure 1 Major audit results ...................................................................................................... iv Figure 2Pre- development water balance ................................................................................... 5 Figure 3 Schematic flowchart of the wastewater management system ..................................... 6 Figure 4 Settling pond ................................................................................................................ 7

Figure 5Installed settlement silo and filter press ....................................................................... 7

Figure 6Filter press .................................................................................................................... 8 Figure 7Post- development water balance ................................................................................. 9

List of Tables

Table 1 Summary of audits results........................................................................................... iii Table 2General Information ..................................................................................................... iii

Table 3 General information about the audited facility ............................................................. 5 Table 4 Pre-development audit findings .................................................................................... 5

Table 5 Analysis of the existing wastewater treatment effluent ................................................ 8 Table 6 Summary of Calculations.............................................................................................. 9

WELI Annex 04- Onyx for Trade and Industry

Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon iii Leb- Qernayel –Water Audit-March 2019

Executive Summary





marble cutting industry located in Qernayel (Onyx for Trade and Industry) after the








quantity of sludge disposed. Around 73% reduction in fresh water consumption was





and figures below.




consumed 15 m3/day 4 m3/day




in the system) 14.45 m3/day 8.62 m3/day

Quantity of sludge disposed 6 m3/day 0.53 m3/day




suspended solids in water)* 31500 mg/l 670 mg/l


cleaning activities 2 hours /day (2 workers involved) 0.14 hours/day (1 worker involved)



Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon iv Leb- Qernayel –Water Audit-March 2019




Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon iii Leb- Qernayel –Water Audit-March 2019



information.


Company Information

Name Onyx for Trade and Industry

Address

Phone Number

Email


Name

Position

Email

Phone Number

E


Audit team



audit)


2017 to April 2019.

Audit limitations

Time constraints.



and wastewater generation.


Sampling and

measurements






Dewatered sludge (m3/day)



Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon 4 Leb- Qernayel –Water Audit-March 2019

2. Introduction


















et al., 2009).




context, a water audit was conducted for the marble and granite processing facility in

Qernayel (Onyx for Trade and Industry) in order to assess the water consumption within the

facility and to identify opportunities to improve water use efficiency.

3. Scope of Work










consumption.








Capacity 3000-4000 ton/year


Operating days per year 290-300 days/year



Water Source

Well water and private water tankers during

the summer season

Harvested rainwater during the winter




Settlement pond

Settlement silo


Cleaning of settlement tank schedule Daily (1-2 workers are involved)




Sludge Generated 6 m3/day

Figure 2Pre- development water balance

Production

Process

Wastewater

Treatment Unit

Quantity of fresh

water entering the

processing plant

Influent

WW

Losses in the

system

Effluent

WW Recirculated

WW

Stone cuttings

Recirculated Water

Runoff

5.45 m3/d

15 m3/d

Sludge

6 m3/d

626.4 m3/d 632.4 m3/d

626.4 m3/d

14.45 m3/d




Systems

Onyx for Trade and Industry implemented the suggested wastewater management system


tanks), followed by filter press for the water recovery from the generated sludge. A filter

press was recently installed to recover water from the generated sludge.







the cylindrical settling tank in this audited facility is 70 m3 (Figure 5-4). Finally the treated






Figure 5Installed settlement silo and filter press



Figure 6Filter press











system on March 11, 2019. The results are presented in the Table 5-1.


Parameters Results

(Pre-development)

Results

(Post-development)

ELVs (Decision 8/1

dated 2001)

pH 7.9 8.6 7-9

Chemical Oxygen



(mg/l) 31500 670 600


(mg/l) 200 200 -

Turbidity (FTU) >400 350 15*

Oil and Grease (mg/l) <5





in the sludge.



Around 5.47 m3/day were saved from the dilution of sludge process, previously conducted to

facilitate discharge in the network. Furthermore, 91.1 % of the sludge is being recovered and


The following table (Table 5-3) represents a summary of calculations that were used to

establish the post-development water balance diagram.


Flow rate m3/day

Fresh water consumption 4



Stone cuttings 5.45



Sludge Cake Generated 6





Figure 7Post- development water balance

Production

Process

Wastewater

Treatment Unit

Quantity of fresh

water entering the

processing plant

Influent

WW

Losses in the

system

Effluent

WW Recirculated

WW

Stone cuttings

Recirculated Water

Runoff

5.45 m3/d

4 m3/d

0.53 m3/d

626.4 m3/d 632.4 m3/d

631.87 m3/d

8.92 m3/d


5.47 m3/d




















treatment system.












8. References



Water, 37(3), 225-232.






ANNEX 05

Annex 05

Post- Development Water Audit Report Ste. Georges Najem and sons - G.N.S. sarl.

Bchaaleh-Batroun

March 2019

Table of Contents

Executive Summary ................................................................................................................. iii

1. Background Information .................................................................................................. iii

2. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 4

3. Scope of Work ................................................................................................................... 4

4. Summary of Water Audit in the Pre-Development Phase ................................................. 4

5. Developed Improvements in Wastewater Management Systems ...................................... 6

6. Water Balance (Post- Development) ................................................................................. 8

7. Conclusion and Recommendations .................................................................................. 10

8. References ........................................................................................................................ 11

List of Figures

Figure 1Pre-development water balance .................................................................................... 5 Figure 2 Schematic flowchart of the wastewater management system ..................................... 6 Figure 3 Settling pond ................................................................................................................ 7

Figure 4 Settlement silo ............................................................................................................. 7 Figure 5Installed filter press ...................................................................................................... 7

Figure 6 Post- development water balance ................................................................................ 9

List of Tables


Table 2General Information ..................................................................................................... iii

Table 3 General information about the audited facility ............................................................. 5 Table 4 Pre-development audit findings .................................................................................... 5 Table 5 Analysis of the existing wastewater treatment effluent ................................................ 8 Table 6 Summary of calculations .............................................................................................. 8

file:///G:/WELI-%20Water%20efficiency%20in%20marble%20and%20granite%20industry/Post%20Audit%20REPORTS/Annex%2005-%20George%20Najem/Annex%2005-%20GNS%20sarl%20POST.docx%23_Toc15972197

WELI Annex 05- Ste. Georges Najem and sons - G.N.S. sarl

Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon iii Leb- Batroun–Water Audit-March 2019

Executive Summary





marble cutting industry located in Bchaaleh -Batroun (Ste. Georges Najem and sons - G.N.S.

sarl) after the implementation of a suggested wastewater management system. The system


followed by filter press for the water recovery from the generated sludge.










and figures below.




consumed 16.5 m3/day 5.04 m3/day




in the system) 12.46 m3/day 6 m3/day

Quantity of sludge disposed 13 m3/day 4 m3/day


from sludge 0 9 m3/day


suspended solids in water)* 188,000 mg/l 200 mg/l


cleaning activities

1 time/week (1-2 workers are

involved) 1 time/month (1 worker involved)



Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon iv Leb- Batroun–Water Audit-March 2019


Figure II Major audit results


Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon iii Leb- Batroun–Water Audit-March 2019



information.


Company Information

Name Ste. Georges Najem and sons - G.N.S. sarl

Address

Phone Number

Email


Name

Position

Email

Phone Number


Audit team



audit)

Sania El Nakib, Water and Environment Specialist

(conducted the audit)


2017 to April 2019.

Audit limitations

Time constraints.













Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon 4 Leb- Batroun–Water Audit-March 2019

2. Introduction


















et al., 2009).




context, a water audit was conducted for the marble and granite processing facility in

Bchaaleh -Batroun (Ste. Georges Najem and sons - G.N.S. sarl) in order to assess the water

consumption within the facility and to identify opportunities to improve water use efficiency.

3. Scope of Work










consumption.







Capacity 96 tons/year





Water Source Private well



Settlement ponds


Cleaning of settlement tank schedule 1 time/week (1-2 workers are involved)

Fresh water consumption 16.5 m3/day




Production

Process

Wastewater

Treatment Unit

Quantity of fresh

water entering the

processing plant

Influent

WW

Losses in the

system

Effluent

WW Recirculated

WW

Stone cuttings

Recirculated Water

Runoff

8.96 m3/d

16.5 m3/d

Sludge

13 m3/d

1038.2 m3/d 1051.2 m3/d

1038.2 m3/d

12.46 m3/d

Figure 1Pre-development water balance




Systems

Ste. Georges Najem and sons - G.N.S. sarl implemented the suggested wastewater

management system which includes a two-staged settlement process (settlement ponds and

shaped settlement tanks), followed by filter press for the water recovery from the generated

sludge. A filter press was recently installed to recover water from the generated sludge.






settling tank/silo is designed in a way to enhance the process of flocs settling. The cylindrical

settling tank in this audited facility has a height of 7m and diameter of 2m (Figure 4). Finally

the treated wastewater is transferred to a storage tank behind the processing area where it is

then reused in the production process.




Figure 4 Settlement silo

Figure 5Installed filter press













system on April 17, 2019. The results are presented in the Table 5.


Parameters Results

(Pre-development)

Results

(Post-development)

ELVs (Decision 8/1

dated 2001)

pH 7.9 7.1 7-9

Chemical Oxygen



(mg/l) 188,000 200 600


(mg/l) 390 370 -







in the sludge.

Around 11.46 m3/day was saved from the implementation of the wastewater treatment

system. Furthermore, 70 % of the sludge is being recovered and reintroduced into the water

balance.



Table 6 Summary of calculations Flow rate (m3/day)




Stone cuttings 8.96

Un-Accounted for Water 6


Sludge Cake Generated 4

Water recovered from sludge treatment 9


entering and leaving the whole system. The following diagram also accounts for the

quantities of water lost and gained in the system.



Figure 6 Post- development water balance

Production

Process

Wastewater

Treatment Unit

Quantity of fresh

water entering the

processing plant

Influent

WW

Losses in the

system

Effluent

WW Recirculated

WW

Stone cuttings

Recirculated Water

Runoff

8.96 m3/d

5.04 m3/d

4 m3/d

1038.2 m3/d 1051.2 m3/d

1043.2 m3/d

6 m3/d


9 m3/d




















treatment system.












8. References



Water, 37(3), 225-232.






ANNEX 06

Annex 06

Post- Development Water Audit Report Usine Nationale Des Blocs Et Carreaux (Boustany,

Mallah & Co. S.A.R.L.)

Zouk Mosbeh

July 2019

WELI Annex 06- Usine Nationale Des Blocs Et Carreaux

Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon ii Leb-Zouk Mosbeh–Water Audit-July 2019

Table of Contents

Executive Summary ................................................................................................................. iii 1. Background Information .................................................................................................... 1

2. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 2 3. Scope of Work ................................................................................................................... 2 4. Summary of Water Audit in the Pre-Development Phase ................................................. 2 5. Developed Improvements in Wastewater Management Systems ...................................... 3 6. Water Balance (Post- Development) ................................................................................. 5

7. Conclusion and Recommendations .................................................................................... 7 8. References .......................................................................................................................... 8

List of Figures

Figure 1Pre-development water balance .................................................................................... 3 Figure 2 Schematic flowchart of the wastewater management system ..................................... 4

Figure 3 Settlement silo and filter press .................................................................................... 5 Figure 4Post- development water balance ................................................................................. 6

List of Tables


Table 1-1General Information ................................................................................................... 1 Table 2 General information about the audited facility ............................................................. 3 Table 3 Pre-development audit findings .................................................................................... 3

Table 4 Analysis of the existing wastewater treatment effluent ................................................ 5

Table 5 Summary of calculations .............................................................................................. 5

file:///G:/WELI-%20Water%20efficiency%20in%20marble%20and%20granite%20industry/Post%20Audit%20REPORTS/Annex%2006-%20Usine%20Nationale%20Des%20Blocs%20Et%20Carreaux%20(Boustany,%20Mallah%20&%20Co.%20S.A.R.L.)/Annex%2006-%20Boustany,%20Mallah%20&%20Co.%20S.A.R.L..docx%23_Toc15896461


Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon iii Leb-Zouk Mosbeh–Water Audit-July 2019

Executive Summary





cutting industry located in Adonis, Zouk Mosbeh (Usine Nationale Des Blocs Et Carreaux

(Boustany, Mallah & Co. S.A.R.L.) after the implementation of a suggested wastewater

management system. The system includes a two-staged settlement process (settlement ponds

and shaped settlement tanks), followed by filter press for the water recovery from the generated

sludge.








sludge being disposed was reduced by 80%.


and figures below.






and reused in the system 808 m3/day 820.12 m3/day









cleaning activities 4 hours /day (3worker involved)

0.21 hours/day (1 worker

involved)



Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon iv Leb-Zouk Mosbeh–Water Audit-July 2019




Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon 1 Leb-Zouk Mosbeh–Water Audit-July 2019



information.


Company Information

Name Usine Nationale Des Blocs Et Carreaux (Boustany, Mallah &

Co. SARL)

Address

Phone Number

Email

Name

Position

Email

Phone Number



Audit team



audit)

Elie El Khoury Environmental Auditor (conducted the

audit)


2017 to April 2019.

Audit limitations

Time constraints.





Sampling and

measurements









2. Introduction


for a variety of building applications since ancient times. This reflects the belief that stones are

sustainable and durable material for construction works (Taşdemir, Kurama, 2013).













and may lead to clogging of pipes. Consequently, the maximum (residual) turbidity of the clean

water should be less than 15 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) (Ersoy, Tosun, et al., 2009).




context, a water audit was conducted for the marble and granite processing facility in Zouk

Mosbeh (Usine Nationale Des Blocs Et Carreaux (Boustany, Mallah & Co. S.A.R.L.) in order

to assess the water consumption within the facility and to identify opportunities to improve

water use efficiency.

3. Scope of Work










consumption.







Facility Area 15,000 m2

Capacity 35,000 m2



Operating hours/day 7:30 am – 4:30 pm (9 hours)

Number of Employees 30 labor + 10 employees


Water Source Public water

Well water



Settlement pond and silo




Recirculated wastewater 808 m3/day




Systems

Usine Nationale Des Blocs Et Carreaux (Boustany, Mallah & Co. SARL) implemented the

suggested wastewater management system which includes a two-staged settlement process

(settlement ponds and shaped settlement tanks), followed by filter press for the water recovery

Production

Process

Wastewater

Treatment Unit

Quantity of fresh

water entering the

processing plant

Influent

WW

Losses in the

system

Effluent

WW Recirculated

WW

Stone cuttings

Recirculated Water

Runoff

7.41 m3/d

64 m3/d

Sludge

15 m3/d

808 m3/d 823 m3/d

808 m3/d

56.41 m3/d




from the generated sludge. A filter press was recently installed to recover water from the

generated sludge.


The treatment of wastewater is done via two steps. The first step is the settling pond where the

heavy particles present in the wastewater are left to settle naturally. After this step the

wastewater is pumped into a cylindrical settling tank where a coagulant is added, thus the

process of coagulation and flocculation takes place. The structure of the cylindrical settling

tank/silo is designed in a way to enhance the process of flocs settling. Finally the treated







between the plates and a hydraulic or automatic system presses the plates. With time, the filtrate

is forced out and the solid filter cake starts to build up increasing both pressure and efficiency





Figure 3 Settlement silo and filter press



system on July 15, 2019. The results are presented in the Table 5.


Parameters Results

(Pre-development)

Results

(Post-development)

ELVs (Decision 8/1

dated 2001)

pH 7.7 8.4 7-9

Chemical Oxygen



(mg/l) 1000 90 600


(mg/l) 270 390 -





After installation of the silo and filter press, fresh water consumption was reduced mainly due

to the improvements in the efficiency of the treatment system and the recovery of the water

present in the sludge.






Table 5 Summary of calculations

Flow rate m3/day






Stone cuttings 7.41


Influent Wastewater 823







Production

Process

Wastewater

Treatment Unit

Quantity of fresh

water entering the

processing plant

Influent

WW

Losses in the

system

Effluent

WW Recirculated

WW

Stone cuttings

Recirculated Water

Runoff

7.41 m3/d

29.87 m3/d

2.88 m3/d

808 m3/d 823 m3/d

820.12 m3/d

34.4 m3/d


12.12 m3/d








significantly in terms of the level of turbidity in the water. Improving the quality of water

reduced machinery and equipment maintenance (changing of blades…) where the stone

powders in the water may cause polishing problems during the processing of natural stone and

may lead to clogging of pipes. Finally, sludge was properly managed and the quantity of sludge

being disposed was reduced by 80%.








treatment system.












8. References



Water, 37(3), 225-232.


in: P. Wathern (Ed) Environmental Impact Assessment: Theory and Practice (London,

Unwin Hyman).



ANNEX 07

Annex 07

Post- Development Water Audit Report Yazda S.A.R.L.

Qaraaoun

July 2019

WELI Annex 07-Yazda Company SARL

Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon ii Leb-Qaraaoun–Water Audit-July 2019

Table of Contents

Executive Summary ................................................................................................................. iii 1. Background Information .................................................................................................... 1 2. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 2

3. Scope of Work ................................................................................................................... 2 4. Summary of Water Audit in the Pre-Development Phase ................................................. 2 5. Developed Improvements in Wastewater Management Systems ...................................... 3 6. Water Balance (Post- Development) ................................................................................. 6 7. Conclusion and Recommendations .................................................................................... 8

8. References .......................................................................................................................... 9

List of Figures

Figure 1Pre-development water balance .................................................................................... 3 Figure 2 Schematic flowchart of the wastewater management system ..................................... 4 Figure 3 Settlement silo ............................................................................................................. 5 Figure 4 Filter press ................................................................................................................... 6 Figure 5Post- development water balance ................................................................................. 7

List of Tables


Table 1-1General Information ................................................................................................... 1 Table 3 General information about the audited facility ............................................................. 3

Table 4 Pre-development audit findings .................................................................................... 3 Table 5 Analysis of the existing wastewater treatment effluent ................................................ 6 Table 6 Summary of Calculations.............................................................................................. 7

file:///G:/WELI-%20Water%20efficiency%20in%20marble%20and%20granite%20industry/Post%20Audit%20REPORTS/Annex%2007-%20Yazda/Annex%2007-%20Yazda.docx%23_Toc15972995


Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon iii Leb-Qaraaoun–Water Audit-July 2019

Executive Summary





cutting industry located in Qaraaoun (Yazda Company) after the implementation of a suggested

wastewater management system. The system includes a two-staged settlement process

(settlement ponds and shaped settlement tanks), followed by filter press for the water recovery

from the generated sludge.








sludge being disposed was reduced by 60%.


and figures below.




consumed 4.5m3/day 1.6 m3/day









(Turbidity)* 70 FTU 5 FTU


cleaning activities 4 hours /day (3worker involved)

0.21 hours/day (1 worker

involved)


Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon iv Leb-Qaraaoun–Water Audit-July 2019




Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon 1 Leb-Qaraaoun–Water Audit-July 2019



information.


Company Information

Name Yazda Company S.A.R.L.

Address

Phone Number

Email


Name

Position

Email

Phone Number



Audit team



audit)


2017 to April 2019.

Audit limitations

Time constraints

Uncertainty in measurements procedures


and wastewater generation


Sampling and

measurements










2. Introduction


for a variety of building applications since ancient times. This reflects the belief that stones are

sustainable and durable material for construction works (Taşdemir, Kurama, 2013).













and may lead to clogging of pipes. Consequently, the maximum (residual) turbidity of the clean

water should be less than 15 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) (Ersoy, Tosun, et al., 2009).




context, a water audit was conducted for the marble and granite processing facility in Qaraaoun

(Yazda Company SARL) in order to assess the water consumption within the facility and to

identify opportunities to improve water use efficiency.

3. Scope of Work










consumption.








Capacity 30,000 m2



Operating hours/day 8 hours

Number of Employees 15


Water Source Well water



Settlement pond



Fresh water consumption 4.5 m3/day





Systems

Yazda Company SARL implemented the suggested wastewater management system which




Production

Process

Wastewater

Treatment Unit

Quantity of fresh

water entering the

processing plant

Influent

WW

Losses in the

system

Effluent

WW Recirculated

WW

Stone cuttings

Recirculated Water

Runoff

4.5 m3/d

77.5 m3/d

5.18 m3/d 2 m3/d

0.7 m3/d

79.5 m3/d 77.5 m3/d

Sludge





The treatment of wastewater is done via two steps. The first step is the settling pond where the

heavy particles present in the wastewater are left to settle naturally. After this step the

wastewater is pumped into a cylindrical settling tank where a coagulant is added, thus the

process of coagulation and flocculation takes place. The structure of the cylindrical settling

tank/silo is designed in a way to enhance the process of flocs settling. The capacity of the

cylindrical settling tank in this audited facility with dimensions of 7.5 x 2m (Figure 3). Finally

the treated wastewater is transferred to a storage tank behind the processing area where it is

then reused in the production process.



Figure 3 Settlement silo





between the plates and a hydraulic or automatic system presses the plates. With time, the filtrate

is forced out and the solid filter cake starts to build up increasing both pressure and efficiency





Figure 4 Filter press



system on July 15, 2019. The results are presented in the Table 5.


Parameters Results

(Pre-development)

Results

(Post-development)

ELVs (Decision 8/1

dated 2001)

pH 7.7 7.4 7-9

Chemical Oxygen



(mg/l) 550 250 600


(mg/l) 270 280 -





After installation of the silo and filter press, fresh water consumption was reduced mainly due

to the improvements in the efficiency of the treatment system and the recovery of the water

present in the sludge.


facilitate discharge in the network. Furthermore, 60 % of the sludge is being recovered and







Flow rate m3/day




Stone cuttings 0.7









Production

Process

Wastewater

Treatment Unit

Quantity of fresh

water entering the

processing plant

Influent

WW

Losses in the

system

Effluent

WW Recirculated

WW

Stone cuttings

Recirculated Water

Runoff

0.7 m3/d

1.6 m3/d

0.8 m3/d

77.5 m3/d 79.5 m3/d

78.7 m3/d

1.5 m3/d


2 m3/d

1.2 m3/d








significantly in terms of the level of turbidity in the water. Improving the quality of water

reduced machinery and equipment maintenance (changing of blades…) where the stone

powders in the water may cause polishing problems during the processing of natural stone and

may lead to clogging of pipes. Finally, sludge was properly managed and the quantity of sludge

being disposed was reduced by 60%.








treatment system.












8. References



Water, 37(3), 225-232.


in: P. Wathern (Ed) Environmental Impact Assessment: Theory and Practice (London,

Unwin Hyman).



ANNEX 08

Annex 08

Post- Development Water Audit Report Abdessater Marble Group SARL (AMG)

Ain Saadeh- El Metn

March 2019

Table of Contents



List of Figures

Figure 1 Major audit results ...................................................................................................... iv Figure 4-1Pre-development water balance ................................................................................ 5 Figure 2 Schematic flowchart of the wastewater management system ..................................... 6 Figure 3 Settling pond ................................................................................................................ 7

Figure 4Installed settlement silo and filter press (compact design) ........................................... 7

Figure 5Post- development water balance ................................................................................. 9

List of Tables


Table 2General Information ..................................................................................................... iii Table 3 General information about the audited facility ............................................................. 5

Table 4 Pre-development audit findings .................................................................................... 5 Table 5 Analysis of the existing wastewater treatment effluent ................................................ 8

Table 6 Summary of Calculations.............................................................................................. 8

WELI Annex 08- Abdessater Marble Group SARL

Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon iii Leb- Ain Saadeh–Water Audit-March 2019

Executive Summary





marble cutting industry located in Ain Saadeh (Abdessater Marble Group) after the













and figures below.






and reused in the system 69.7 m3/day 70 m3/day



Quantity of sludge disposed 0.3 m3/day 0.035 m3/day


from sludge 0 m3/day 0.265 m3/day




cleaning activities

4 hours/month (4 workers

involved)

0.5 hours/month (1 worker

involved)



Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon iv Leb- Ain Saadeh–Water Audit-March 2019




Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon iii Leb- Ain Saadeh–Water Audit-March 2019



information.


Company Information

Name Abdessater Marble Group SARL (AMG)

Address

Phone Number

Email


Name

Position

Email

Phone Number



Audit team



audit)


2017 to April 2019.

Audit limitations

Time constraints.



and wastewater generation. .


Sampling and

measurements









Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon 4 Leb- Ain Saadeh–Water Audit-March 2019

2. Introduction


















et al., 2009).




context, a water audit was conducted for the marble and granite processing facility in Ain

Saadeh (Abdessater Marble Group SARL) in order to assess the water consumption within

the facility and to identify opportunities to improve water use efficiency.

3. Scope of Work










consumption.








Capacity 200 m2/day





Water Source Public water source (EBML)

Private water suppliers (tankers)



Settlement pond

Sludge Management Openly disposed/discharged to sewerage

network

Cleaning of settlement tank schedule Quarterly (4 workers are involved and

operations are hauled for 1-1.5 days)





Figure 4-1Pre-development water balance

Production

Process

Wastewater

Treatment Unit

Quantity of fresh

water entering the

processing plant

Influent

WW

Losses in the

system

Effluent

WW Recirculated

WW

Stone cuttings

Recirculated Water

Runoff

0.6 m3/d

2 m3/d

Sludge

0.3 m3/d

69.7 m3/d 70 m3/d

69.7 m3/d

2.3 m3/d




Systems

Abdessater Marble Group implemented the suggested wastewater management system which










the cylindrical settling tank in this audited facility is 10 m3 (Figure 4). Finally the treated






Figure 4Installed settlement silo and filter press (compact design)





cycle lasts around 7-11 minutes. The filter press consists of a series of 7 plates covered with a

filter medium (25 mm x 25 mm x 5mm). Liquid sludge is introduced in the empty space






of the filter press. Samples were recollected from the water leaving the wastewater treatment

system on February 18, 2019. The results are presented in the following table.


Parameters Results

(Pre-development)

Results

(Post-development)

ELVs (Decision 8/1

dated 2001)

pH 7.2 8.5 7-9

Chemical Oxygen



(mg/l) 2140 190 600


(mg/l) 900 640 -







in the sludge.

Around 1.3 m3/day were saved from the installation of the wastewater treatment system.

Furthermore, 88% of the sludge, which was previously openly disposed, is being recovered

and reintroduced into the water balance.




Flow rate m3/day


Recirculated water 70


Stone cuttings 0.6









lost and gained in the system (Figure 5).


Production

Process

Wastewater

Treatment Unit

Quantity of fresh

water entering the

processing plant

Influent

WW

Losses in the

system

Effluent

WW Recirculated

WW

Stone cuttings

Recirculated Water

Runoff

0.6 m3/d

0.7 m3/d

0.035 m3/d

69.7 m3/d 70 m3/d

70 m3/d

1.3 m3/d


0.265 m3/d






water used and decreasing the quantity of sludge disposed. Around 65 % reduction in fresh














treatment system.












8. References



Water, 37(3), 225-232.






ANNEX 09

Annex 09

Post- Development Water Audit Report Art & Decoration

Keyfoun- Aley

March 2019

Table of Contents



List of Figures

Figure 1 Major audit results ...................................................................................................... iv Figure 2Pre- development water balance ................................................................................... 5 Figure 3 Schematic flowchart of the wastewater management system ..................................... 6 Figure 4 Settling pond ................................................................................................................ 7

Figure 5 Shaped cylindrical settling tank/ storage tank ............................................................. 7

Figure 6 Filter press ................................................................................................................... 7 Figure 7Post- development water balance ................................................................................. 9

List of Tables

Table 1 Summary of audits results........................................................................................... iii Table 2General Information ..................................................................................................... iii

Table 3 General information about the audited facility ............................................................. 5 Table 4 Pre-development audit findings .................................................................................... 5

Table 5 Analysis of the existing wastewater treatment effluent ................................................ 8 Table 6 Summary of Calculations.............................................................................................. 8

WELI Annex 09- Art & Decoration

Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon iii Leb- Keyfoun –Water Audit-March 2019

Executive Summary





marble cutting industry located in in Keyfoun (Art & Decoration) after the implementation of

a suggested wastewater management system. The system includes a two-staged settlement

process (settlement ponds and shaped settlement tanks), followed by filter press for water

recovery from the generated sludge.





quantity of sludge disposed. Around 73.4% reduction in fresh water consumption was





and figures below.






and reused in the system 311 m3/day 322.96 m3/day







suspended solids in water)* 44000mg/l 440 mg/l


cleaning activities

2 hours /day (1-2 workers are

involved) 2 hour/month(1 worker involved)



Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon iv Leb- Keyfoun –Water Audit-March 2019




Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon iii Leb- Keyfoun –Water Audit-March 2019



information.


Company Information

Name

Address

Phone Number


Name

Position

Phone Number



Audit team



audit)

Audit time frame The audits were conducted during the period of November 2017

to April 2019.

Audit limitations

Time constraints.


Lack of records and data related to water consumption and

wastewater generation.


Sampling and

measurements






Quantity of water recovered from sludge dewatering

(m3/day)



Geoflint s.a.r.l, Lebanon 4 Leb- Keyfoun –Water Audit-March 2019

2. Introduction


















et al., 2009).




context, a water audit was conducted for the marble and granite processing facility in in

Keyfoun (Art & Decoration) in order to assess the water consumption within the facility and

to identify opportunities to improve water use efficiency.

3. Scope of Work










consumption.







Facility Area 2000m2

Capacity 45,000 m2/year



Operating hours/day 8-10 hours/day


Water Source Private water tankers

Nearby water spring




Settlement pond

Silo




Recirculated wastewater 311 m3/day



Figure 2Pre- development water balance

Production

Process

Wastewater

Treatment Unit

Quantity of fresh

water entering the

processing plant

Influent

WW

Losses in the

system

Effluent

WW Recirculated

WW

Stone cuttings

Recirculated Water

Runoff

2.72 m3/d

26 m3/d

Sludge

13 m3/d

311 m3/d 324 m3/d

311 m3/d

16.18 m3/d




Systems

Art and Decoration implemented the suggested wastewater management system which










the cylindrical settling tank in this audited facility is 36 m3 (Figure 5). Finally the treated






Figure 5 Shaped cylindrical settling tank/

storage tank

Figure 6 Filter press






filter medium (800mm x 800mm). Liquid sludge is introduced in the empty space between

the plates and a hydraulic or automatic system presses the plates. With time, the filtrate is

forced out and the solid filter cake starts to build up increasing both pressure and efficiency





system on January 25, 2019. The results are presented in the Table 5.


Parameters Results

(Pre-development)

Results

(Post-development)

ELVs (Decision 8/1

dated 2001)

pH 6.6 8.5 7-9

Chemical Oxygen

Demand COD (mg/l) 740 <20 500


(mg/l) 44000 440 600


(mg/l) 480 280 -







in the sludge.

Around 11.96 m3/day were saved from the dilution of sludge process, previously conducted

to facilitate discharge in the network. Furthermore, 92% of the sludge is being recovered and





Flow rate m3/day


Recirculated water 323


Stone cuttings 2.72











Production

Process

Wastewater

Treatment Unit

Quantity of fresh

water entering the

processing plant

Influent

WW

Losses in the

system

Effluent

WW Recirculated

WW

Stone cuttings

Recirculated Water

Runoff

2.72 m3/d

6.92 m3/d

1.04 m3/d

311 m3/d 632.4 m3/d

322.96 m3/d

8.6 m3/d


11.96 m3/d






water used and decreasing the quantity of sludge disposed. Around 73.4% reduction in fresh














treatment system.












8. References



Water, 37(3), 225-232.




