Specialised wastewater treatment for dairy and cheese production — removing fats, lactose and CIP chemicals to meet consent and open water-reuse opportunities.
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.
Handling Dairy Processing Effluents
Dairy processing wastewater contains high concentrations of milk solids, proteins, fats, lactose, and cleaning chemicals. Our specialised treatment solutions are engineered to handle these unique effluent characteristics, ensuring regulatory compliance while maximising opportunities for water reuse and resource recovery in this sensitive food production environment. Fats, oils and grease plus high lactose loads make balancing, DAF and biological treatment essential to a stable plant. We design each system around the dairy’s cleaning regime and product mix to secure consent compliance and open water-reuse opportunities.
Milk and dairy residues create elevated organic loads requiring efficient advanced biological treatment processes.
High-BOD SolutionsSpecialised separation of milk fats, whey proteins, and casein residues from processing operations.
Fat & Protein RecoveryHandling acidic and alkaline cleaning cycles (CIP) with pH neutralisation systems.
pH Variation SolutionsManaging hot wastewater from pasteurisation and cleaning processes.
Temperature SolutionsComplete Dairy Wastewater Treatment
Comprehensive solutions for dairy wastewater including DAF flotation for fat and solids removal, whey protein recovery via ultrafiltration, anaerobic digestion with biogas production, and complete biological treatment processes. Our systems are designed specifically for high-strength dairy effluent with variable loading from batch production cycles.
View SolutionsFull compliance with Australian AS 1210, AS/NZS 4020 and European PED 2014/68/EU, IED 2010/75/EU, EU 1935/2004 regulations for dairy wastewater equipment and discharge requirements. We design and certify systems for food-contact applications, pressure equipment, and environmental permits across multiple jurisdictions.
View StandardsSpecialised expertise in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, and Icelandic dairy wastewater regulations including cold climate design, Baltic Sea protection requirements, and Nordic environmental compliance. Our equipment is rated for sub-zero operation and meets the strictest Nordic discharge standards.
View Nordic StandardsFacilities We Support
Wastewater treatment for milk bottling plants, including pasteurisation, homogenization, and packaging operations. Handles milk residues, cleaning chemicals, and cooling water with systems engineered for high-volume, continuous operation and strict hygiene requirements.
Fluid Milk SolutionsSpecialised solutions for cheese making facilities handling whey, curd wash waters, and brine solutions. Reynolds & Bauhm systems recover valuable whey proteins while treating high-strength effluents with BOD levels up to 50,000 mg/L from artisan and industrial cheese operations.
Cheese ProductionTreatment systems for yogurt, kefir, and cultured product manufacturing facilities. Handles fermentation residues, fruit preparations, and cleaning effluents with specialised advanced biological treatment engineered for the unique characteristics of dairy fermentation wastewater.
Yogurt ProductionSolutions for high-fat content wastewater from butter, cream, and anhydrous milk fat production. Our DAF systems excel at separating milk fats and oils, achieving <95% fat removal while handling the challenging emulsions common in these operations.
Butter ProductionWastewater treatment for ice cream plants handling flavouring residues, ingredient processing, and CIP operations. Systems designed to manage high sugar content, dairy solids, and temperature variations from pasteurisation and freezing operations.
Ice Cream ProductionHigh-capacity systems for evaporator condensate, spray dryer washdown, and cleaning wastewater from milk powder, whey powder, and infant formula facilities. Designed for large volumes with heat recovery options and minimal energy consumption.
Milk Powder SolutionsSpecialised wastewater treatment for dairy processing, cheese production, and food manufacturing. Reynolds & Bauhm systems effectively handle high-fat, high-solids wastewater from combined dairy and food production facilities.
Dairy ProcessingOptimised for Dairy Effluents
Remove large solids and debris to protect downstream treatment equipment.
Balance variable flows from batch processing and CIP cycles.
Neutralise acidic and alkaline wastewater from cleaning operations.
Remove fats, oils, and suspended milk solids with chemical conditioning.
Anaerobic or aerobic processes to degrade lactose and milk proteins.
Products for Dairy Applications
Rotary and spiral screens for milk solids and curd particles with gentle handling.
Efficient removal of milk fats and proteins with optimised chemical dosing.
MBBR and anaerobic systems for degrading lactose and milk proteins.
Multi-disc presses and screw presses for effective dairy sludge dewatering.
Automated polymer preparation for optimal solids separation.
Pressure and multimedia filters for final polishing and water reuse.
CIP chemical storage, equalization tanks, and buffer vessels with sanitary construction options.
Contact tanks, neutralisation vessels, and CIP tanks for dairy processing applications.
Meeting Dairy Industry Standards
Reynolds & Bauhm equipment meets FDA, EU 1935/2004, and local food contact material regulations. Stainless steel construction with sanitary finishes ensures compliance with HACCP and GMP requirements for dairy processing environments.
Systems designed to meet municipal sewer discharge limits for BOD (<300-500 mg/L), TSS (<250-400 mg/L), fats/oils (<15 mg/L), and pH (6-10). Pre-treatment ensures compliance with local water authority requirements.
Compliance with EU Industrial Emissions Directive, EPA effluent guidelines, and local environmental regulations. Reynolds & Bauhm systems help dairy processors achieve sustainability goals with water reuse and energy-efficient operation.
Equipment certified to ASME, PED 2014/68/EU, UKCA, and AS 1210 standards. Full documentation packages including material certificates, weld records, and pressure test reports for regulatory approval.
Why Choose Reynolds & Bauhm
Explore Other Industries We Serve
The chemistry and biology that drive dairy effluent treatment design.
Raw dairy effluent: COD 2,000–10,000 mg/L; BOD₅ 1,500–6,000 mg/L; TSS 200–2,500; FOG 200–1,500; lactose 1,500–5,000; TKN 30–200. Strong, biodegradable but FOG-laden.
Typical 0.55–0.70 — high biodegradability indicates suitability for aerobic / anaerobic biology. A drop below 0.4 suggests CIP chemical interference or shock load.
Lactose (C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁) hydrolyses to glucose + galactose in the reactor; rapid VFA production drops pH. Anaerobic systems require alkalinity supplementation (NaHCO₃ or Na₂CO₃) 0.8–1.2 kg/kg COD removed.
CIP cycles spike effluent to 60–80°C; equalisation tank cools to mesophilic 30–38°C for biology. Without cooling, temperature shock inhibits methanogens in UASB / EGSB.
CIP alternates caustic wash (pH 11–13) with acid rinse (pH 2–4). Equalisation buffers, then pH correction with H₂SO₄ / NaOH / CO₂ to 6.5–7.5 before biology. See food & beverage pH correction and our parallel oil-gas approach for comparative reactor design.
Dairy is N-limited; phosphorus from detergent additives accumulates. Tertiary P precipitation with FeCl₃ (1.5–3.0 mol Fe/mol P) reaches consent <1 mg/L. Nitrification possible after carbon removal.
Dairy effluent — high BOD, fat content and pH swings — needs purpose-built aeration design.
Contact our specialists to discuss your dairy facility's requirements.
Our expertise spans multiple industries with sector-specific water treatment solutions.