Membrane Bioreactor System Treats Snack Foods Wastewater for Direct Discharge to Local Stream

This paper presents a case study of a wastewater treatment solution for a specialty snack foods processor. Traditionally, the snack foods processor had been discharging primary clarified effluent to the local publically owned and operated treatment works (POTW). This resulted in expensive surcharges and odors associated with the clarifier.In early 2008, an on-site membrane bioreactor (MBR) pilot study was conducted at Golden Flake Snack Foods. It was determined that the MBR process offered the lowest capital cost solution and the most compact footprint. It was also evident that the MBR process provided the best solution for meeting the strict effluent requirements for direct discharge for BOD ( 6 mg/l). The MBR system appeared to be the most economical and best technology for this case and a full-scale system was designed, built and commissioned in August 2009. The first ten months of the full-scale MBR operating results are discussed.