Brewery Wastewater Management
Solids Management
All wastewater treatment systems produce biosolids (i.e., sludge), which is the result of settlement and organic matter degradation in the biological processes, and must be removed to enable optimal operation of the treatment plant. While ponds might require biosolids removal only every few years, mechanical systems produce more sludge because of energy input and biomass reproduction rate and so require frequent purging of excess sludge (daily to weekly). In anaerobic systems, sludge is minimal due to the high solids retention time of the reactor. Sludge removal will not need to begin until several years after installation. Residuals generated from beer production (marc and lees) present another issue, and unless dealt with within a short period of time can result in odors.
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