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Industry Overview

Water Management for Pulp & Paper Operations

Pulp and paper mills generate large volumes of wastewater containing fibres, fillers, dissolved organics, and chemicals. Our treatment solutions focus on fibre recovery for operational benefits, whitewater clarification for process efficiency, and effluent treatment for environmental compliance. Saveall fibre recovery, dissolved-air flotation and biological treatment recover usable fibre and water while bringing effluent within consent. Reynolds & Bauhm design these systems to close the mill’s water loop, cutting fresh-water demand and effluent volume together.

Fibre Recovery

Efficient recovery of valuable fibres from whitewater and effluent streams, reducing raw material costs and improving sustainability.

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Whitewater Treatment

Clarification systems for paper machine whitewater to remove suspended solids and enable water reuse in the process.

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Effluent Clarification

High-rate clarification for final effluent treatment to meet discharge requirements with minimal footprint.

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Environmental Compliance

Meet stringent discharge limits for suspended solids, BOD, and colour with reliable treatment systems.

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Applications

Pulp & Paper Sectors We Serve

Kraft Pulp Mills

Treatment of bleaching effluents, condensates, and wastewater from chemical pulping operations with high organic loads.

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Mechanical Pulp Mills

Whitewater treatment and effluent clarification for TMP, CTMP, and groundwood pulp operations.

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Paper & Board Mills

Fibre recovery and whitewater treatment for printing paper, packaging, and board manufacturing.

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Tissue Mills

High-efficiency fibre recovery and water treatment for tissue and towel manufacturing operations.

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Recycled Paper Mills

Deinking wastewater treatment and fibre recovery from recycled fibre processing operations.

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Speciality Paper

Treatment solutions for speciality paper production including security paper, filter paper, and industrial papers.

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Typical Pulp & Paper Mill Effluent Profile

Stream chemistry by mill process — wood prep, bleaching, paper machine

StreamBOD (mg/L)COD (mg/L)TSS (mg/L)Colour (Pt-Co)Key Contaminants
Debarking / wood-yard runoff300 – 1,500800 – 4,000500 – 5,000200 – 800Tannins, resin acids, bark fibres
Kraft mill condensate (foul)500 – 3,0001,500 – 8,000< 100lowMethanol, reduced sulphur (TRS), turpentine
Kraft bleach plant (D-stage)50 – 200300 – 1,500100 – 500500 – 3,000AOX 0.5–5 mg/L, chlorinated organics, chlorate
Kraft bleach plant (alkaline E-stage)200 – 8001,000 – 4,000200 – 1,0002,000 – 8,000Lignin fragments, hemicellulose, pH 10–11
Paper machine white water80 – 400400 – 2,5001,000 – 10,000100 – 500Cellulose fines, fillers (CaCO3, clay), starch, sizing
Recycled-fibre / OCC mill500 – 2,5001,500 – 8,000500 – 3,000200 – 1,200Stickies, ink particles, dispersants, fatty acids
Combined mill effluent (typical)150 – 600500 – 2,500200 – 1,500500 – 2,500Lignin, hemicellulose, fibres, sulphate (kraft)
Tissue / fine-paper mill80 – 300300 – 1,200100 – 80050 – 300Fibre fines, neutral pH, low organic strength

EU IED BAT-AELs (kraft pulp): COD 7–20 kg/t pulp; AOX 0.1–0.2 kg/t; TSS 0.3–1.5 kg/t; total-N 0.05–0.25 kg/t; total-P 0.01–0.03 kg/t. Mill-scale benchmarking expresses load per air-dried tonne (ADt) of product.

Treatment Process

Multi-Stage Approach

1

Fibre Recovery

Drum screens and DAF units for recovering valuable fibres from whitewater and effluent streams.

2

Primary Clarification

LAMELLA separators for high-rate solids removal with compact footprint ideal for mill environments.

3

Biological Treatment

MBBR or SBR systems for removing dissolved organics and reducing BOD from pulping effluents.

4

Polishing

Self-cleaning filters for final suspended solids removal before discharge or reuse.

5

Sludge Dewatering

Multi-disc screw presses for dewatering primary and biological sludge for disposal.

Recommended Equipment

Products for Pulp & Paper Applications

Rotary Drum Screens

High-capacity fibre recovery screens for whitewater and effluent applications. Continuous operation with minimal maintenance.

Benefit: Recover 90%+ of fibres

DAF Flotation Systems

Dissolved air flotation for fibre recovery and suspended solids removal with high loading capacity for mill flows.

Benefit: High fibre recovery rate

LAMELLA Separator

High-rate clarification for whitewater and effluent treatment with 70% smaller footprint than conventional clarifiers.

Benefit: Compact, high capacity

MBBR Systems

Moving bed biofilm reactors for BOD removal from pulping effluents with high treatment efficiency and small footprint.

Benefit: Up to 95% BOD removal

Self-Cleaning Filters

Automatic backwash filtration for protecting spray nozzles, showers, and process equipment from fibre buildup.

Benefit: Protect equipment, reduce downtime

Screw Press

Low-energy sludge dewatering for primary and biological sludge with quiet operation and minimal maintenance.

Benefit: 50-70% disposal requirement reduction

Benefits & Efficiency Gains

Operational, Environmental & Economic Advantages

Operational Benefits

  • High fibre recovery rates
  • Continuous operation capability
  • Minimal operator attention
  • Robust for mill environment
  • Protect downstream equipment

Environmental Benefits

  • Reduce fibre loss to environment
  • Meet discharge standards
  • Enable water reuse
  • Lower freshwater consumption
  • Support sustainability goals

Efficiency Gains

  • Recover valuable fibres
  • Reduce raw material costs
  • Lower disposal requirements
  • Reduce freshwater purchase
  • Minimise regulatory penalties

Related Applications

Explore Other Industries We Serve

Textile Manufacturing

Wastewater treatment for textile dyeing and finishing.

Textile Manufacturing Solutions

Chemical Processing

Wastewater treatment for chemical manufacturing.

Chemical Processing Solutions

Industrial Pre-treatment

Pre-treatment solutions for industrial facilities.

View Pre-Treatment Solutions

Power Generation

Water treatment for power plants.

Power Generation Solutions

Discuss Your Pulp & Paper Water Treatment Needs

Contact our experts for fibre recovery and effluent treatment solutions.

Engineering Calculators

Equalization Tank Calculator

Size equalization tanks for variable mill flows. Calculate tank volume, retention time and dampening factor for flow balancing.

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Settling Velocity Calculator

Predict particle settling velocity (Stokes/Newton), clarifier surface area, and solids flux for fibre and filler separation.

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Nutrient Removal Calculator

Calculate N and P removal requirements, anoxic reactor volume and chemical doses for mill biological treatment polishing.

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Industries We Serve

Our expertise spans multiple industries with sector-specific water treatment solutions.