An Introduction to Brewery Wastewater Treatment

Wastewater treatment can be overwhelming, and brewery wastewater treatment is no exception. Regulations and permits often require breweries to treat residual wastewater leftover from the brewing process, and failure to treat this water can result in fines and penalties and the effluent from your facility may negatively impact your community.

Wastewater treatment comes in various forms, from primary treatment tactics such as sludge removal to secondary and tertiary treatment methods like aeration and bio-augmentation. Types of treatment include pre-treatment, primary treatment, secondary treatment and tertiary treatment.

  • Pre-treatment removes material that floats or settles with gravity and is often utilized to reduce the load prior to primary treatment.
  • Primary treatment assists in the removal of solids, often with the implementation of a polymer program.
  • Secondary treatment removes dissolved and suspended biological solids (these can be found in dissolved sugars) prior to discharge.
  • Lastly, tertiary treatment is the final cleaning process that removes any remaining inorganic compounds and substances including nitrogen and phosphorous.

Over-treating a wastewater system can result in excessive chemical costs, while under-treating a system can lead to surcharges and fines. An evaluation of the correct variables is vital to identify the best type of treatment to ensure a wastewater program’s success. Potential Hydrogen (pH), alkalinity, time, temperature, air and nutrition must all be considered. Once diagnosed, the correct implementation of engineering, equipment and chemical processes will allow you to meet environmental needs while minimizing operational costs.

Learn more about our Wastewater Treatment Programs or Commonly Asked Questions in Brewery Wastewater Treatment.

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