A method and apparatus are provided for reducing waste effluent from a system including a boiler and a wet electrostatic precipitator, the waste effluent having blow down water discharged by the boiler during a blow down operation and bleed water discharged by the wet electrostatic precipitator. The method includes collecting the blow down water and providing it to the wet electrostatic precipitator as a makeup water supplement, evaporating a portion of the bleed water and leaving residual bleed water, providing the evaporated bleed water to the wet electrostatic precipitator as a further makeup water supplement, and using the residual bleed water to quench ash produced by combustion of solid fuel by the boiler. The apparatus includes an evaporator that provides direct contact between hot boiler flue gas and the bleed water such that a portion of the flue gas is quenched before being provided to the wet electrostatic precipitator.