10.  Conclusion and future of cooling water treatment

The future of cooling water treatment will depend both on forthcoming regulations setting new environmental standards and limiting the use of chemicals currently used because they have been identified as dangerous to the environment and human health, and on innovations based on biology, equipment and artificial intelligence (data-driven decision-making), eliminating the need for human intervention.

The treatment program will be optimized in real time according to the information provided by the sensors in place.

What limits will be imposed on AOX flows, heavy metal content, the biodegradability of wastewater, and the discovery of new endocrine disruptors?

Whatever the changes, the future of cooling water treatment will incorporate technologies that enable :

• Biofilm...