Membrane Bioreactor for Meat Processing Wastewater

The company KUPFER, a large meat processor in Bavaria, needed to upgrade its existing wastewater treatment plant to comply with more stringent effluent requirements and to accommodate increasing loads. The consulting engineer selected a membrane bioreactor (MBR) system to avoid the need for huge tank volumes and to provide the future possibility of water reuse. Extensive pilot tests showed that MBRs must be designed with a holistic view as wastewater pretreatment has a strong impact on MBR performance and reliability. Solids and emulsified fats, oil, grease and colloidal matter should be sufficiently removed by fine screening and dissolved air flotation (DAF); otherwise one can expect rapid fouling of the membrane surface. Based on the satisfying results of the pilot tests the consulting engineer designed the new wastewater treatment plant. In January 2008, the MBR plant was commissioned and after a 3 months start-up period the plant shows excellent performance.