Case Studies
Sustainable Wastewater Treatment Chemicals In a Dairy
Problem/Definition
Atana Ltd has been tasked in reducing sludge generation produced at the sites effluent plant by introducing a new chemical regime. This would bring considerable savings on their daily running costs; reduce the need for hazardous substances and prevent any corrosive issues through the removal of inorganic chemicals. The plant also has consent issues with FOG and Suspended Solids along with reliability issues of dosing PAC and maintaining coagulation.
Site Specific Background
Current physical set up to manage waste water
Reception tank > Aqua rake > Balance tank 150m³ > DAF similar to Puriflow DAF > sewer
Trade Consent
- Daily flow 150m³ per 24 hours
- COD 3000mg/l
- BOD 2000mg/l
- pH 5-11
- FOG 200mg/l
- TSS 1000mg/l
Current chemical treatment regime to manage waste water
Sodium Hydroxide (32%) & Hydrochloric Acid (28%) used for pH correction (set at 10.5) into balance tank as required. 1000 litres per week ordered currently at Acid £126/1000ltrs, Caustic £261/1000ltrs.
Hydrochloric Acid (28%) used for pH correction into the influent poly mix chamber of DAF.
PAC used as a coagulant at approx. 10000 litres / 6-8 weeks at £1650/10000ltrs.
Anionic polymer used as a Flocculant at approx 1000 litres pure product/12 month period at £1050/IBC.
Sludge generation after dewatering equates to 26m³ every 10 days (3 per month max) @ £1100/tanker
Annual costs equate to £73,150.00
Atana’s chemical treatment regime to manage waste water
Sodium Hydroxide (32%) & Hydrochloric Acid (28%) used for pH correction (altered to 7.5) into balance tank as required. 1000 litres every 3 weeks ordered at Acid £126/1000ltrs, Caustic £261/1000ltrs. This is currently being optimized further.
Hydrochloric Acid (28%) used for pH correction into the influent poly mix chamber of DAF.
Cofloc SG10 vegetable coagulant used to replace PAC. Cost £595.00/1000 litres approx. every 2 weeks.
Trufloc TF300C Cationic polymer used as a Flocculant at approx 25 litres pure product/2.5 week period at £105.00/25kg pail.
Sludge generation without being dewatered equates to 26m³ every 21 days @ £1100/tanker, *Dewatering the sludge holding tank could improve sludge uplift days further.
Note: Sludge samples are currently being analysed for alternate disposal method which could potentially remove sludge disposal costs or be a revenue stream.
Annual costs equate to £43,480.00
Summary
To summarise the work done so far, we have achieved a minimum of a 50% reduction in sludge volumes. Grab samples by the local water authority laboratory have seen all consent levels met for the first time with one result giving FOG 25mg/l and Suspended Solids 139mg/l. The regular operators of the Effluent Treatment Plant are very impressed at the plants consistent performance.
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Sustainable Wastewater Treatment Chemicals In a Chicken Processing Plant
Atana Ltd was invited to evaluate the potential for introducing an organic, sustainable wastewater treatment regime into a chicken processing plant. The flow was approximately 120m³ (over 18 hours per day).
The plant killed around 126000 birds per day and the sludge volume produced from their effluent treatment plant (which encompassed dissolved air flotation) per annum was around 13000 tonnes.
The existing wastewater treatment regime used the inorganic coagulant ferric sulphate used in conjunction with a flocculant at a cost of around 13.1 pence/m³. The generation of sludge with this treatment system resulted in a sludge disposal cost of 28.9 pence/m³.
For the equivalent effluent discharge values for COD and suspended solids and using the existing effluent treatment plant, Atana Ltd were able to propose an organic, sustainable wastewater treatment regime using a coagulant from their Cofloc® range used in conjunction with a flocculant cost of 15.71 pence/m³. However, the sludge disposal cost would be reduced to 13.6 pence/m³ and this could mean an annualised saving over £68000.
The organic, sustainable wastewater treatment regime would reduce the annual generation of sludge by over 50% and as the new treatment would not add non-biodegradable metals, alternative disposal routes for the sludge could be explored.
Sustainable Wastewater Treatment Chemicals in a Food Processing Plant
A food ingredients manufacturer was using an inorganic aluminium metal salt with pH correction to treat their effluent. This chemical regime refused to give them any real control over their effluent characterisation. Their effluent plant required constant monitoring and adjustment.
The inability to control the characterisation of the effluent exiting the site meant non-compliance to the requirements of their trade effluent consent which attracted considerable interest from the regulators. The irregular chemical dosing meant the chemical volume being used was much too high and it also created large amounts of sludge that required off-site disposal.
Behaving in an environmentally responsible manner is what all businesses aspire to but the expense of meeting environmental regulation as well as all other legal requirements can be challenging financially.
With the help of wastewater treatment specialists, Atana Limited, this food ingredients manufacturer changed their effluent treatment from inorganic aluminium metal salt to the Cofloc® sustainable and biodegradable organic chemical regime. Atana Limited also helped them to make changes to their pH correction system and the result is a stable effluent characterisation that meets trade effluent consent every time, warrants less regulatory visits, has reduced the chemical cost by 40% and produces at least 50% less sludge.
With our free onsite consultation we are happy to arrange a no-obligation visit to your site to provide recommendations on how you can improve your wastewater treatment.
