Process flow diagram of the G’s Beetroot plant
Click here to enlarge imageResults of the treatment stages through the Aquabio plant are shown in the progressively cleaner water samples above. From right to left: raw wastewater; biomass; AMBR treated water and RO treated water for reuse.
Aquabio’s AMBR Membrane Bioreactor technology has a number of specific benefits/advantages:
- It is very compact, low footprint even compared to other MBR systems. This saves both space and cost.
- Membrane costs are much less than other MBRs and modular standardisation of the setup allows a choice of membrane suppliers.
- The AMBR has reliable and high flux performance and permits out–of–tank operation and maintenance of the membrane separation system, giving clean, fully automated and safe operation.
- AMBR Membrane cleaning frequency is very low (i.e. once every three to four months).
- At G’s construction is modular and containerised — ideal for expansion at a later date.
- High molecular ‘cut off’ (~0.04 micron) membranes are used to optimise good hydraulic performance with high quality treated water. This is particularly important when feeding on to the tertiary reverse osmosis system (reducing long term membrane fouling).
The Aquabio wastewater reuse plant at G’s Beetroot has shown that very high strength food processing wastewater can be cost effectively treated to extremely demanding standards for reuse in a food factory environment. The product water is reliable, safe and of a higher standard than potable water available from the mains. The water returning to the factory consistently and reliably exceeds the prescribed concentrations, values (PCVs) and indicator values of UK Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations.
Water efficiency is one of the key areas being tackled through the UK Environment Agency Integrated Pollution Prevention Control (IPPC) Process. It’s increasingly important to closely monitor water used per tonne of product produced. Water recycling/reuse in internal loops and “end–of–pipe” becomes an important means of meeting stringent IPPC requirements. The reuse of water to process and softened recycled water to boilers for more efficient energy generation is particularly beneficial.
This project coupled with the high profile award of the UK Department of Technology & Industry’s ECA eligibility certificate for environmentally critical areas (ECA), has directly resulted in an increasing level of interest of high quality water reuse in UK industry. Since the project at G’s, a further certificate has been granted also to an Aquabio plant at Unilever Marmite and several other projects are now in the application stage under the scheme. Aquabio water reuse plants offer an environmentally and commercially attractive option for industrialists who are looking for local control over their water as a key sustainable resource in their factories.
Author’s Note:
Steve Goodwin is director of Worcester, England–based Aquabio Ltd., which has been designing, supplying, installing and commissioning industrial wastewater treatment and water reuse systems since 1998. Pioneering a number of large scale installations in this field, it’s a leading supplier of industrial MBR technology in the UK and Europe. Contact: +44 (0)1905 641966, [email protected] or www.aquabio.co.uk