Project Details

Project Delivery

Project Results

Discussion

Situation

A biological wastewater treatment plant is a decisive factor, especially in the food and beverage industry, to reliably clean the resulting wastewater. Since hygiene plays a particularly important role in this sector, a lot of wastewater is generated by cleaning processes. Depending on the type of industry, different components mix into the wastewater. A biological wastewater treatment plant is best suited to remove almost all dissolved substances to treat the wastewater for further use.

The customer in the United Arab Emirates has been processing fresh fruit and vegetables into juices and smoothies, among other things, for several decades. Since he processes different types of fruit and vegetables, he has to clean his plants regularly in order to avoid unwanted mixtures of flavours. For the wastewater produced in the process, the customer needs a biological wastewater treatment plant that prepares the wastewater for further treatment.

Problem

Carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus are present in every wastewater in a certain ratio (C:N:P). If both nitrogen and phosphorus levels are too high, the growth of microorganisms is inhibited, which is why the biological wastewater treatment plant can only clean the wastewater inadequately. For biological purification, the most efficient ratio is between 100:14:3 and 100:10:1.

The wastewater that the biological wastewater treatment plant has to purify contains mainly sugars, dyes, vitamins, small vegetable solids and detergents. These are often present in high concentrations, but are easily biodegradable. The challenge was to treat the resulting wastewater for reuse.

Solution

For this project, the ClearFox® team, together with the client, opted for an underground SBR system in a concrete tank. Via a dosing station, the biological wastewater treatment plant adds nutrients to the wastewater to create a balanced ratio between carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. The aeration system of the SBR plant thus allows the microorganisms to grow in a targeted manner and reliably clean the wastewater.

For this project in the food and beverage industry, the ClearFox® team took over the complete planning. This included the design of the concrete tank, the installation of the SBR set, the commissioning and the training of all employees. The company uses the treated wastewater to irrigate the green areas on the site, thus meeting the requirements of the local authorities.