Solutions for managing high organic loads in wastewater

Industries such as food and beverage, dairy, and agro-processing generate wastewater with high organic loads. Managing this wastewater effectively is essential for meeting regulatory requirements, improving sustainability, and ensuring operational efficiency. Without proper treatment, high organic loads can lead to environmental pollution and increased costs of discharge.

Biological wastewater treatment processes, via aerobic, anaerobic, and anoxic methods, are widely used to break down organic content in wastewater. However, to enhance treatment efficiency and achieve sustainable water management, industries require advanced and tailored solutions.

In this article, our process engineer, Tyler Budnick, outlines three different solutions BW Water offers to help our customers address these challenges.

1. Advanced filtration solutions

Filtration technologies play a crucial role in physically removing contaminants and improving water quality.

BW Water has a high level of expertise in delivering membrane filtration projects, such as ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis, to effectively eliminate suspended particles, bacteria, and dissolved substances.

2. Suspended growth activated sludge processes

For industries dealing with high wastewater volumes, space and energy efficiency are critical factors. Activated sludge processes are often used for the management of high organic loads in wastewater.

BW Water offers the Cyclic Sequencing Activated Sludge (CSAS) system, an innovative treatment process designed to handle large wastewater loads effectively.

The CSAS system operates with continuous influent flow and batch discharge, eliminating the need for a separate settling tank or clarifier. This results in significant savings in space utilisation and energy consumption.

With over 100 successful installations, each CSAS system is customised to meet specific wastewater characteristics, flow rates, and treatment goals.

3. Attached growth activated sludge systems

Attached growth activated sludge systems can be low-capital, low-cost, and small-footprint solutions which can help reach the discharge goals of some industrial facilities. BW Water has two attached growth solutions to offer:

Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor – MBBR

MBBRs combine biological treatment with dissolved aeration and a physical media for microbes to grow on, enhancing the breakdown of organic content and oxygen transfer efficiency. MBBR technology efficiently removes organic pollutants, oils, and fats, making it an ideal solution for various industrial applications. This solution supports water reuse initiatives and contributes to achieving zero liquid discharge (ZLD) goals.

BioGill Trickling Filter

Smaller businesses often face challenges in finding affordable and effective wastewater treatment solutions. The BioGill Trickling Filter is a compact, easy-to-install technology that provides a cost-effective alternative which is suitable for facilities such as breweries, wineries and food processing.

This system uses a nanoceramic media that creates an ideal environment for microorganisms to grow and enables passive aeration at a lower operating cost. These microbes efficiently remove pollutants from wastewater, enabling businesses to meet wastewater discharge standards while minimising operational costs.

The BioGill Trickling Filter was developed in the research laboratories of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), and commercialised with units operating in 25 countries.

Managing high organic loads in wastewater requires well-planned, efficient, and sustainable solutions. BW Water provides treatment technologies tailored to the unique needs of different industries, ensuring regulatory compliance, cost savings, and environmental responsibility.

Whether you need advanced filtration, high-capacity treatment systems, or scalable solutions for smaller operations, BW Water can offer the ideal solution to address the challenge of removing high organic loads in wastewater.