This is an illustrative scenario showing how Reynolds & Bauhm equipment can be configured for this application. Every site has unique requirements — contact us for a solution tailored to your specific wastewater characteristics.
High-strength mixed brewery-dairy wastewater with extreme organic loading: 1,200 m3/day at COD 18,000 mg/L, BOD 12,000 mg/L, fat 1,500 mg/L, TSS 3,500 mg/L, and ammonia 250 mg/L. Source is a combination brewery with distillation (whisky wash) and hard cheese production (whey, brine, CIP). Waste is essentially non-biodegradable due to high salinity (TDS 8,000 mg/L from cheese brine) and phenolic compounds from malt roasting. Biological treatment impossible — salinity would kill activated sludge, and phenols inhibit even halophilic bacteria. Discharge limit COD <50 mg/L, ammonia <5 mg/L, phenols <0.1 mg/L for river discharge. Site has steam boiler providing energy for WAO process. Challenges: high salinity causes conventional AOP inefficiency, phenolic compounds resist oxidation, ammonia requires specialised removal, extreme COD demands thermal oxidation, cheese brine chlorides (4,000 mg/L Cl-) corrode standard equipment.
Step-by-step process configuration from raw wastewater to compliant discharge.
Heated DAF at 42°C — highest temperature of all scenarios to keep animal fats liquid and reduce viscosity of high-salinity wastewater. Ferric chloride (400 mg/L) and cationic polymer (3 mg/L) remove 85% of fats and 65% of suspended solids despite salinity interference on coagulation. specialised high-salinity polymer resistant to charge shielding. Float sludge at 18% solids (high fat content) sent for rendering. COD reduced from 18,000 to 13,000 mg/L. Brine-compatible SS316L construction resists chloride corrosion. Saturator vessel rated for saline water operation.
High-pressure reactor (10 MPa, 220°C) with compressed air injection oxidises extreme COD in aqueous phase. Phenolic compounds from roasted malt completely mineralised to CO2 and water. COD reduced from 13,000 to 2,000 mg/L (85% removal). Ammonia oxidised to nitrogen gas (90% removal to <25 mg/L). WAO destroys non-biodegradable organics that would pass through advanced biological treatment. Residence time 90 minutes. Heat from exothermic oxidation recovered via heat exchanger to pre-heat incoming wastewater, reducing external energy by 60%. Reactor clad in SS316Ti for chloride resistance.
WAO effluent flashes to atmospheric pressure, causing rapid cooling and salt crystallisation. Cheese brine salts (NaCl, CaCl2) crystallise and are removed by centrifugal separator. Recovered salt (85% purity) sold for road de-icing. This step reduces TDS from 8,000 to 3,000 mg/L, protecting downstream GAC and RO from osmotic shock and scaling. Flash vapour condensed and returned to process. Temperature drops from 220°C to 80°C — heat recovered for DAF influent warming.
Steam stripping column removes residual ammonia (25 mg/L to <2 mg/L) at pH 11 (caustic addition). Ammonia-rich overhead vapour absorbed in sulphuric acid to produce ammonium sulphate fertilizer (21-0-0 NPK grade). Economic byproduct offsets operating overheads. Stripping steam sourced from WAO heat recovery — no additional boiler load. Stripped effluent pH readjusted to 7.5 with CO2. This achieves ammonia target of <5 mg/L for river discharge without biological nitrification.
Large GAC system (4.0 m diameter columns, 40 min EBCT) specifically sized for phenol adsorption — phenol isotherm capacity 80 mg/g on specialised bituminous coal carbon. Residual phenols reduced from 5 mg/L to <0.05 mg/L (99% removal). Colour from caramelized dairy sugars reduced from 500 to <30 Pt-Co. COD further reduced from 2,000 to 250 mg/L. Three-column carousel: two in adsorption, one in steam regeneration. On-site regeneration furnace uses WAO off-gas as fuel.
Seawater RO membranes (SWRO) required due to remaining TDS 3,000 mg/L — brackish membranes would fail. Anti-scalant (SHMP 5 mg/L) plus pH 6.0 with sulphuric acid prevents CaSO4 scaling. 75% water recovery. COD 250 to <35 mg/L. TDS 3,000 to <200 mg/L. Phenols <0.1 mg/L. Ammonia <1 mg/L. SWRO concentrate (25%) with TDS 12,000 mg/L disposed through licensed industrial wastewater discharge. Permeate meets strict river discharge standards. Energy recovery turbine on concentrate line recovers 35% of pumping energy.
The specific equipment selected for this application, sized for the flow rate and contaminant load.
DAF 55 m3/h, 42°C, SS316L saline construction, high-salinity polymer, 0.5 MPa.
View EquipmentHP reactor 10 MPa, 220°C, 90 min HRT, air injection, heat recovery, SS316Ti clad.
View EquipmentFlash vessel with salt crystallizer, centrifugal separator, 85% salt recovery.
View EquipmentSteam stripping column with H2SO4 absorber, ammonium sulphate fertilizer production.
View Equipment4.0 m columns, 40 min EBCT, phenol-capable carbon, carousel with on-site regen furnace.
View EquipmentSeawater RO membranes, 75% recovery, energy recovery turbine, TDS <200 mg/L.
View EquipmentRepresentative performance data based on typical operating conditions for this equipment configuration.
Explore the full range of equipment used in this and similar applications.
Multi-stream heat recovery: WAO to influent, flash to DAF, stripper to process.
View EquipmentH2SO4, NaOH, SHMP antiscalant, CO2 preparation for extreme environment.
View EquipmentDiscover how these treatment processes connect to form complete wastewater treatment solutions.
High-temperature pressure oxidation for extreme COD and phenol destruction.
High-temperature DAF in SS316L for saline high-fat wastewater.
Flash crystallisation and centrifugal separation of cheese brine salts.
Steam stripping with acid absorption for non-biological ammonia removal.
Phenol-specialised GAC with on-site thermal regeneration.
SWRO for high-salinity polishing with energy recovery.
Our engineers will adapt this equipment configuration to your specific wastewater analysis, flow rate, and discharge requirements.
Our expertise spans multiple industries with sector-specific water treatment solutions.