Pulp and paper mills are among the major industrial polluters in the world. ¹
Although the mills produce air and water pollution as well as sludge (a solid
waste that presents a disposal problem), the focus of the next two chapters is
on water pollution in the paper mills. The enactment of the 1972 Federal
Water Pollution Control Amendments and the 1977 Amendments forced the
pulp and paper mills to reduce their water pollution emissions. In this chap-
ter the effectiveness of these laws in reducing emissions in the mills will be
shown. Included is a discussion of the water pollutants produced in making
pulp and paper and a comparison of water pollution emissions by the indi-
vidual mills for 1978, 1983 and 1986.

Pulp and paper mills use a tremendous amount of water; in fact, the
amount of water used ranks second only to the amount of fiber in the pulp
and papermaking process. ² Each year pulp and paper plants use about
2 trillion gallons of water in the United States. The amount of water used in
the process is a function of the type of process. For kraft paper mills, about
131,000 liters of water are used per ton of production, while in sulfite mills,
about 237,000 liters of water are used per ton. Most of the water is not con-
sumed; instead, it is used in the manufacturing process and then returned to
the waterways. If the discharged water is not treated properly before being
returned, it will carry a variety of waste matter. This waste can include fi-
bers, bark, uncooked wood chips, and dirt; dissolved solids such as carbo-
hydrates and soluble wood matters; and cooking and bleaching chemicals. ³

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