Evaporation ponds are small, man-made, shallow bodies of water with large surface areas that efficiently utilize wind and sunlight for evaporation. These ponds have a variety of applications in many industries and are quite simple construct and maintain.
Industries that Benefit from Evaporation Ponds
Many industries benefit from the construction and use of evaporation ponds. These include, but are not limited to:
- Mining
- Oil and gas production
- Landfills
- Salt production
- Agriculture
- Contaminated land management
What’s the Purpose of Evaporation?
The purpose and benefit of evaporation ponds varies based upon the industry. From processing contaminates and protecting our environment and waterways to producing salt and byproducts for commercial use, the benefits abound. Evaporation lowers the weight and volume of contaminated water and thus, reduces the cost of processing drain water and production water from mines, oil fracking and agriculture production. On the hand, when the byproducts are lucrative, evaporation easily raises the concentration for harvest.
Placement, Environmental necessities for Evaporation ponds
There are a few things to keep in mind when building an evaporation pond. First and foremost, you will need a lot of land. These ponds must have a large surface area for effective evaporation rates, so you must have sufficient space. Secondly, due to the shallow nature of these ponds, the terrain must be flat. Next, you must consider the weather in the region. Evaporation is most rapid in areas with high temperatures, low rainfall and plenty of wind. Arid climates are ideal, because any rainfall will counter the evaporation you are aiming to achieve.
