Specialised wastewater treatment for cheese making facilities handling whey, curd wash waters, and brine solutions. From artisan creameries to industrial cheese plants, Reynolds & Bauhm systems recover valuable whey proteins while achieving discharge compliance.
Nordic dairy wastewater standards. Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and Finnish effluent limits for milk and cheese processing.
Wastewater treatment for fluid milk processing plants. Handle CIP chemical consumption, spill milk and packaging residues.
Specialised wastewater treatment for dairy wastewater standards.
Australian dairy wastewater standards including AS 1210, AS/NZS 4020 and state EPA requirements for milk processing equipment.
Cheese production generates multiple wastewater streams including whey (high lactose/protein), curd wash water, brine solutions, and equipment cleaning effluents. Whey has extremely high BOD (30,000-50,000 mg/L) and requires specialised handling for either recovery or treatment.
Liquid remaining after cheese curd formation from rennet-coagulated cheese (cheddar, gouda, swiss). Contains 6-7% solids with lactose (70%), whey proteins (12%), and minerals. pH 5.8-6.5. Ideal for protein recovery and lactose crystallisation.
Byproduct from acid-coagulated cheese (cottage cheese, cream cheese, ricotta) or Greek yogurt production. Lower pH (4.5-5.0) with higher mineral content. More challenging for protein recovery but suitable for animal feed or anaerobic digestion.
Water used to wash curd particles and clean equipment between batches. Contains milk solids, fats, cleaning chemicals, and cheese residues. Flow varies with production schedule and cleaning protocols (CIP systems).
Salt brines used for cheese salting and storage. High salinity (15-25% NaCl) with organic contamination. Requires separate handling or dilution before advanced biological treatment. Some brines can be regenerated and reused.
Whey represents a significant value opportunity. Protein and lactose recovery through ultrafiltration can generate -500 per tonne of whey processed, while reducing treatment load and costs by 60-80%.
Ultrafiltration concentrates whey proteins to 35-80% protein content. WPC 80 is a premium ingredient for sports nutrition, infant formula, and food applications. Output: -800/tonne WPC.
Further processing through microfiltration and ion exchange produces WPI with 90%+ protein content and minimal lactose. Premium product for specialised nutrition applications. Output: -1,500/tonne.
Crystallisation of UF permeate lactose creates food-grade lactose for pharmaceutical, confectionery, and infant formula applications. Output: -600/tonne lactose.
High-strength whey is ideal for anaerobic treatment producing biogas (methane). Energy recovery offsets treatment costs while achieving 80-90% COD removal. Biogas yield: 0.4-0.5 m³/kg COD.
Our cheese plant treatment systems handle whey, wash water, and general processing wastewater with integrated screening, DAF, and advanced biological treatment achieving reliable compliance with discharge requirements.
Rotary drum screens and static sieves remove curd particles, cheese solids, packaging debris, and fibrous material to protect downstream pumps, valves, and treatment equipment. Pre-treatment includes flow equalisation to buffer batch discharges and pH adjustment to neutralize acidic whey and alkaline CIP effluents. Proper screening and conditioning is essential for reliable operation in cheese plants with high variable solids loading.
View Screening SystemsDissolved Air Flotation separates milk fats, whey proteins, and fine suspended solids with 95%+ removal efficiency using optimised coagulant and polymer chemistry. The system handles the unique colloidal properties of cheese wastewater, including variable fat content from cheddar, soft cheese, and whey processing. Recovered float material can be directed to protein and fat recovery streams or sent to sludge handling, depending on plant feasibility and product quality requirements.
View DAF SystemsMoving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) or Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) systems degrade lactose, proteins, fats, and organic compounds to achieve discharge compliance. The robust biofilm biomass is specifically acclimated to high-strength dairy wastewater and handles shock loads from CIP cleaning cycles, whey dumping, and seasonal production variations. Systems achieve BOD removal rates exceeding 99% with effluent quality suitable for direct discharge or tertiary reuse applications.
View Biological SystemsScrew presses and multi-disc presses dewater biological sludge and DAF float material to 18-22% dry solids, significantly reducing hauling and disposal requirements. Dewatered cake can be suitable for agricultural land application as a soil amendment, subject to local regulations and contaminant testing. Alternatively, sludge can be further processed through lime stabilisation or thermal drying depending on end-use requirements and market opportunities.
View Dewatering| Parameter | Raw Whey | After DAF | After Biological | Removal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOD | 30,000-50,000 mg/L | 25,000-40,000 mg/L | < 100 mg/L | 99%+ |
| COD | 50,000-80,000 mg/L | 40,000-65,000 mg/L | < 200 mg/L | 99%+ |
| TSS | 5,000-10,000 mg/L | < 500 mg/L | < 30 mg/L | 99%+ |
| Fats & Oils | 500-2,000 mg/L | < 50 mg/L | < 10 mg/L | 99%+ |
| pH | 4.5-6.5 | 6.0-7.5 | 6.5-8.0 | Neutralised |
High-efficiency fat and solids separation with optimised polymer dosing for cheese wastewater. Stainless steel construction for food-grade environments.
View DAF Flotation UnitsMoving bed biofilm reactors provide high-efficiency organic removal with compact footprint. Ideal for cheese plants with variable loading and space constraints.
View MBBR ReactorsDewater DAF float and biological sludge to 18-22% dry solids for reduced disposal requirements. Low-energy operation with minimal maintenance requirements.
View Screw PressesBuffer variable flows from batch cheese production and cleaning cycles. Smooths hydraulic and organic loading to protect downstream advanced biological treatment.
View Equalization Tanks| Whey Volume | 8-10 L/kg cheese |
| BOD | 35,000-50,000 mg/L |
| Protein | 0.8-1.0% |
| Lactose | 4.5-5.0% |
| Whey Volume | 2-4 L/kg cheese |
| BOD | 25,000-40,000 mg/L |
| Protein | 0.6-0.9% |
| Fat | 0.3-0.6% |
| Whey Volume | 5-8 L/kg cheese |
| BOD | 30,000-45,000 mg/L |
| pH | 5.0-5.4 (acid whey) |
| TSS | 5.5-7.0% |
| Whey Volume | 6-9 L/kg cheese |
| Brine Wash Water | High salt content |
| BOD | 20,000-35,000 mg/L |
| Special | Salt recovery potential |
| Parameter | Sweet Whey | Acid Whey |
|---|---|---|
| pH | 5.9-6.6 | 4.3-4.9 |
| Total Solids | 6.0-7.0% | 6.5-7.5% |
| Protein | 0.8-1.0% | 0.6-0.8% |
| Lactose | 4.5-5.0% | 4.0-4.6% |
| Calcium | 0.04-0.06% | 0.12-0.16% |
| Phosphorus | 0.04-0.06% | 0.08-0.12% |
Ultrafiltration concentrates protein; diafiltration further purifies for WPI.
Concentrates whey for lactose recovery or animal feed.
Converts organic matter to biogas for energy generation.
Direct application as fertilizer (where permitted).
Remove curd particles & debris
Balance flow & loading
Remove fats & proteins
High-rate COD removal
Polishing & nitrification
Meet permit requirements
Treatment for high-BOD dairy effluent from cheese, whey and milk powder production.
View PageWhey is the dominant waste stream and the single largest opportunity for resource recovery.
10 kg of milk → 1 kg cheese + 9 kg whey. Whey: lactose 4.5–5.0%, protein 0.6–0.8%, fat 0.05–0.5%, minerals 0.5–0.7%. COD 60,000–80,000 mg/L — among the strongest food streams.
Best practice: do not treat whey as wastewater. Recover via ultrafiltration (whey protein concentrate, WPC) + RO/nanofiltration (lactose syrup). Only spent permeate goes to biology.
Acid whey (cottage, Greek yogurt) pH 4.3–4.6 — harder to process due to demineralisation. Sweet whey (cheddar, gouda) pH 6.0–6.6 — cleaner stream for protein concentration.
Cheese brining produces 8–25% NaCl effluent. Segregate from biological — brine inhibits methanogenesis above 1% salinity. Route to evaporation / crystalliser or partial discharge.
Drain water carries 200–1,500 mg/L casein fines plus serum proteins. DAF with FeCl₃ 80–200 mg/L + cationic polymer recovers 92–98%; sludge sold to renderers or biogas digester.
Acid whey + alkaline CIP wash makes for wild pH swings (2–13). Two-stage cascade control: coarse with lime (see lime dosing), fine with CO₂ / H₂SO₄. Reference designs cross-shared with refinery pH systems.
Our dairy wastewater experts can design a system tailored to your cheese plant requirements, from whey recovery to complete treatment solutions.
Our expertise spans multiple industries with sector-specific water treatment solutions.