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Food & Beverage Wastewater Treatment

Ultrafiltration (UF), Two-Step Reverse Osmosis™ (TSRO)

Client Overview

  • Industry: Food & Beverage
  • Year: 2019
  • Daily Wastewater Production: 25,000 GPD

Challenge

Our client, a Food & Beverage company, faced significant challenges with their wastewater management:

1

High disposal fees for wastewater

2

Limited production expansion due to wastewater treatment constraints

3

Complex logistics for storage and hauling of wastewater

4

Restricted growth opportunities and job creation potential

Solution: Advanced Filtration System

We implemented a two-stage filtration system to address these challenges:

  1. Ultrafiltration (UF)
  2. Two-Step Reverse Osmosis™ (TSRO)

Project Approach

  1. Site Assessment:
    • Collaborated with the company to understand their unique challenges
    • Brainstormed tailored solutions
  2. Pilot Testing:
    • Collected samples of raw wastewater
    • Tested samples through UF and TSRO systems

Results

1

Water Recovery

Reclaimed about 75% of wastewater as clean water
2

Cost Reduction

Eliminated surcharges for sewer discharge
3

Expansion Enabled

Facilitated facility expansion previously constrained by wastewater limitations
4

Value Creation

Produced concentrates that can be sold as value-added co-products

Detailed Analysis

 

Ultrafiltration (UF) Process Streams

Parameter Unit UF Feed UF Permeate UF Concentrate % Removal by UF
Total Solids mg/L 51,600 41,500 64,800 20%
Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) mg/L 53,100 41,200 NA 22%
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) mg/L 1,370 1,110 1,960 19%
Phosphorus mg/L 369 307 423 17%
Conductivity mS/cm 10 9.04 9.52 n/a
pH S.U. 4.47 4.52 4.51 n/a

Two-Step Reverse Osmosis™ (TSRO) Process Streams

Parameter Unit UF Permeate TSRO Permeate TSRO Concentrate % Removal by TSRO
Total Solids mg/L 50,200 300 190,000 99%
Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) mg/L 41,200 20 NA >99.9%
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) mg/L 1,330 18.9 2,270 99%
Phosphorus mg/L 468 0.05 1,980 >99.9%
Conductivity mS/cm 11.5 0.837 29.3 n/a
pH S.U. 4.5 4.73 4.43 n/a

Key Benefits

  1. Clean Water Reclamation: Produced water suitable for direct discharge or reuse
  2. Cost Savings: Reduced wastewater disposal fees and eliminated surcharges
  3. Operational Efficiency: Streamlined wastewater management process
  4. Facility Expansion: Enabled production growth previously limited by wastewater constraints
  5. Value-Added Co-Products: Created concentrated streams suitable for animal feed or specialty products
  6. Job Creation: Facilitated company growth and new employment opportunities
  7. Environmental Compliance: Met stringent discharge requirements with high-quality treated water

Process Insights

  • The UF system effectively removed suspended solids while allowing most dissolved solids to pass through.
  • The TSRO system, combining Forward Osmosis and Reverse Osmosis, achieved exceptional removal rates:
    • 99% reduction in total solids
    • 99.9% reduction in Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)
    • Ammonia and phosphorus concentrations reduced to below detection limits

Liquid Pictures

Scroll the gallery to see pictures of the materials from our filtration equipment.

Are you facing a similar business challenge?

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