In the United States, it is estimated that 70 to 140 billion gallons of water are used at 35,000 oil wells each year (2011 EPA Report). That is approximately the annual water consumption of 40 to 80 cities, each with a population of 50,000. As this water is pumped into wells during drilling processes, it later arises as heavily contaminated with additive chemicals the operator adds to aid in oil recovery. The water is also extremely salty due to naturally occurring salty water trapped in between rocks.

The final step of production in any plant is the recycling or disposal of generated waste. Oily waste is toxic to wildlife, vegetation, and can contaminate groundwater drinking supplies if it is not properly treated. Sun State Systems was contracted by our customers in the Middle East to develop an automated control system to properly treat and re-use oily wastewater generated by drilling rigs while leaving the smallest environmental footprint, and conserving fresh water usage.