Paper Machine Water Efficiency, Paper360º July/August 2020

In our Jul/Aug 2016 Paper360° article about climate change¹, Jim Atkins, Jan Bottiglieri, and I addressed three fundamental resources needed to make paper: fiber, energy, and water. A follow-up article in the Jul/Aug 2018 issue addressed energy use reduction², and another article in the Nov/Dec 2019 issue tackled fiber sustainability. This article discusses water use on paper machines, why it is important to optimize water use and, finally, some strategies for doing so.

The 2016 article leads to two broad con-clusions: the world is changing and thus so is the supply of resources needed to make paper. Water is fundamental to all of those key resources. As the climate becomes more unsettled, unprecedented drought and flooding occur, upsetting normal supply. As the world changes, water will become scarce… or not. Change is inevitable, but direction is difficult to predict. Prudence demands that, in times of uncertainty, prepare for the worst; undoubtedly, “the worst” requires efficient and minimal use of water. Smart use of water inevitably results in improved energy efficiency, too. Using less water is a good way to prepare for the future and save money in the present. 

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