All types of beverage and food production processes tend to very heavy producers of effluent wastewater. The beer industry tends to use the most water in their process, followed closely by wine producers and distilleries.
The challenge for breweries, wineries, and distilleries is the quality of the wastewater. It is high in total suspended solids (TSS) as well as organic material, is which is also known as BOD or biological oxygen demand. This organic material, in large volume amounts, is extremely difficult for the municipal wastewater treatment facility to process.
The result in a significant cost to the brewery. This is found in the form of a higher municipal surcharge based on the volume of wastewater produced, or the need to truck wastewater to specialized treatment plants, all which add to the operational costs of the brewery.
An On-Site Solution
A simple and practical solution to this wastewater problem is to use on-site brewery wastewater treatment systems. There are different companies offering these brewery wastewater treatment systems, which can range from very low-cost dewatering systems to higher cost full anaerobic treatment facilities.
The use of the dewatering system is ideal for most smaller breweries. These tanks come in different sizes, with the ability to use standard roll-off trucks for hauling the solid away once the separation process has occurred and the water is run off into the sewer system. With the wastewater meeting the requirements for levels of BOD and TSSS, it can safely be discharged into the sewer system without incurring any additional costs to the brewery.
With these on-site brewery wastewater treatment systems, the brewery can dispose of the solid organic material in the tank in several ways. It can be hauled to a waste processing plant, or, in most cases, it can be sold as fertilizer, which is always an effective way to offset costs.
