Using water sustainably

Water is essential for both life and industry. But these two demands don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

To sustain its operations while minimizing its environmental impact, APRIL Group has invested in state-of-the-art water recycling and processing facilities.

Water is used in every part of the pulp and paper making process. Water taken from the Kampar River is purified before use in the mill, and equates to just 1.89% of the river’s mean river flow, well below government guidelines.

Through collection and treatment, APRIL recycles 90% of its general water usage, and 78% is returned to the river after being treated.

Yulius is Area Head of Water Treatment at APRIL subsidiary RAPP, and has been responsible for water treatment in the Kerinci mill for more than 17 years. Every day he has to ensure the water treatment process runs properly.

After being drawn from the river the water runs through a cleansing process to ensure it is ready to use in the mill. After use it is thoroughly treated to ensure it can be released back into the environment.

“We treat the water to make sure it is free from any bacteria and harmful elements. In the end, the water is ready to be streamed into the reservoir, then later into the mills and households around Pangkalan Kerinci,” explained Yulius.

“Every day for two hours, I check the water treatment process in the clarifier, as well in the mill. I need to control the water quality, check if the process meets the operational standards, and monitor the operators’ skill and discipline,” said Yulius, who graduated from Padang Industrial Technology Academy in Chemical Technology.

Yulius believes that sustainability is vital. “I still want to dedicate my work to RAPP, so I can help to provide clean water for people around here,” he said.