Industrial Wastewater Applications: Dairy

In the dairy industry various process technologies are required to treat effluent with high COD, suspended solids and organic loadings. Depending on the specific site conditions and the treated effluent requirements, unit process technologies typically selected by Wehrle on a dairy effluent project would include Equalisation, pH Control, Dissolved Air Flotation and MBR technology, the Wehrle MBR-LS process specifically.

The driving forces that have encouraged the development of MBR technology for dairy applications in the UK fall into legislative and economic categories. When a combination of these factors applies to a particular application, advanced Wehrle MBR technology can provide a robust and reliable wastewater treatment solution.

Tighter effluent discharge standards are being introduced as the result of European Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control legislation, with similar measures being increasingly taken by governments around the world. Stringent standards are implemented by authorities such as the UK Environment Agency and the US Environmental Protection Agency.

In the UK, for example, trade waste sewerage costs are increasing, as is the cost of treated potable water. Hence, the economic use of MBR technology in conjunction with other processes opens up the possibility of treating effluent to a suitable standard to allow Process Water Recycling or reuse within the factory. This reduces potable water requirement and cost, and also reduces effluent discharge cost, providing a significant economic advantage. Depending on specific site conditions, the capital cost of an MBR system can pay back within an acceptable period based on savings in payments to the local municipal water supply and waste treatment company.

Further savings can be realised by using Low Energy Crossflow operation on larger MBR systems for industrial effluent treatment.

MBR membrane system for treating dairy waste