The report gives results of a study to: develop information on minimum water quality requirements for the different unit processes in iron and steel making; identify data gaps; and recommend research efforts to obtain the required information. The study utilized plant visits, literature, the American Iron and Steel Institute, equipment manufacturers, water chemical suppliers, and consultants. Typical steel plants do not allocate water on the basis of individual processes or recycle water from each process on separate circuits: most do not even record volume or analyze water to individual unit operations. Water is usually distributed to clusters of processing units. Higher quality water is infrequently used for lower quality applications in a cascading manner. In some plants, recycling exceeding 98 percent is practiced without significant equipment or product quality problems. When equipment problems arise, the present water control technology can usually solve them. Modern equipment is rugged in design and able to accommodate significant water impurities with the help of chemical controls. Insufficient information is available on the effect of water quality on product quality. Water recycling and reuse problems are intimately related to steel plant waste recycling and air pollution problems. One of the research recommendations is basic data generation on flow and water analysis.

"IIT Research Institute." "Industrial Environmental Research Laboratory, Office of Energy, Minerals, and Industry." "January 1979." Includes bibliographical references. "Contract no. 68-02-2617, task no. 2-1, program element no. 1BB610."