The Jaspers company, an Australian beef and lamb producer, was spending around £100,000 pa (more than $A200,000) on the disposal of its wastewater Prior to the installation of an Eimco Water Technologies' MBR (Membrane Bioreactor).
A proportion of the 17,000m3 of water used each year at its sites in Treburley and Botathan (near Launceston) even included the costly consumption of potable water for low-grade wash-down applications, says Eimco Water Technologies-AJM Environmental Services (EWT-AJM) Australasian National Sales Manager, Industrial/Municipal, Mr John Koumoukelis. But, just four months after installing Eimco Water Technologies' MBR Technology, 60% of the treated wastewater effluent at its beef plant in Treburley had already been reused for low-grade reuse applications, whilst at its lamb abattoir in Botathan, the water reuse figure was in excess of 60%. ''This soon culminated in Jaspers becoming the first abattoir in the United Kingdom to receive a Certificate of Environmental Benefit for its efficient membrane filtration system,'' said Mr Koumoukelis, whose company has completed more than 200 industrial wastewater treatment projects for Australasian and Asian food, beverage and primary production companies.
As in the UK, demand in Australasia and Asia for MBR systems and high-rate aerobic biological treatments for the food, meat, chicken and dairy industries has been driven by factors such as tighter legislative requirements for discharge (organic and nutrient removal) and the the need for water re-use and assistance for large-scale business to secure water in areas where supply is restricted.
The Certificate of Environmental Benefit received by Jaspers allowed the company to claim significant UK Government financial incentives for environmental performance, including 100% First-Year Enhanced Capital Allowances (ECA) on the capital cost of the system. To satisfy the requirements for the certificate, more than 40% of the treated effluent must be reused for applications such as wash-down of animal sheds and agricultural vehicles.
The company business was also recognized in the Cornwall Sustainability Awards for the exceptional lengths it has gone to in reducing water consumption and carbon emissions. Jaspers Director Mr David Jasper said ''From gate to plate, we strive to be the foremost independent procurer and supplier of the finest Cornish and West Country Beef and Lamb, so it is vital that we have the right systems in place across all aspects of our business. We are proud of our water reuse and see it as a very important investment. Introducing water reuse is definitely saving us money, but it also improves the environment and can lead us to better business opportunities''.
Working in close consultation with Jaspers, Eimco Water Technologies selected their membrane bioreactor (MBR) system to treat the low-flow high-strength wastewater stream at the Treburley and Botathan sites. Designed, constructed, installed and commissioned by Eimco Water Technologies, the simple, low cost, low maintenance MBR system, incorporating flat sheet membrane panels, provided Jaspers with an almost immediate cost effective solution to the treatment of their effluent. The final effluent quality from the plant has far exceeded original expectations with the BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand), TSS (Total Suspended Solids) and NH4N (Ammonia) concentrations all less than 10mg/l and often less than the limits of laboratory detection. The influent wastewater is screened by a 3mm perforated plate automatic screen. From the screen the wastewater enters the MBR treatment tank where the mixed liquor activated sludge degrades the COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand). The MBR treatment tank contains flat-sheet membrane panels, which separate the treated effluent from the mixed liquor-activated sludge. The membranes also remove bacteria and viruses from the treated water. Because of the high influent COD load, the MBR treatment tank incorporates a fine bubble diffuser air zone to ensure that oxygen is transferred efficiently to the mixed liquor-activated sludge. The treated effluent from the MBR plant is stored prior to reuse. The high quality permeate that is not reused is discharged to a local watercourse.
