Hollerbach, George, Hollerbach

George Hollerbach is a Senior Client Service Manager at Brown and Caldwell and is licensed engineer in multiple states and a Board-Certified...

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About Hollerbach, George

George Hollerbach is a Senior Client Service Manager at Brown and Caldwell and is licensed engineer in multiple states and a Board-Certified Environmental Engineer and Certified Safety Professional. He has a proven track record in environmental and process engineering and permitting, specializing in pharmaceutical, chemical, hazardous waste, and other process industries. George has held roles as a Director of Engineering and Consultant to the pharma industry, overseeing capital projects in various global locations. He has helped numerous facilities with wastewater treatment and compliance, hazardous waste treatment, and air pollution control strategies, as well as managing assets during facility decommissioning and remediation. Additionally, George has served as an EHS Director and Project Manager for many pharmaceutical plants, contributing to industry guidelines and supporting capital expansion projects for solvent recovery, wastewater treatment, and air pollution control systems.

Hollerbach, George

Titles from this speaker

Description: Mitigation of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Water Resources: Risk, Mitigation,...

Mitigation of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Water Resources: Risk, Mitigation, Guidance and Policy Updates

Abstract

A notable contributor to pharmaceuticals in the environment (PiE) stems from patient medication use and subsequent excretion, along with other significant sources such as pharmaceutical manufacturing, non-point sources from livestock, and healthcare and solid waste facilities. This paper examines the impact of antibiotic discharge into surface water bodies from these various facilities, highlighting the potential emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at critical concentration levels. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recognized AMR as one of the foremost threats to human health. Research indicates that both natural and treated water environments play crucial roles in the evolution and dissemination of AMR. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) can transfer between humans, animals, and the environment, complicating the treatment of certain infections. Recent global initiatives, including antimicrobial stewardship and AMR surveillance, have been launched to address this pressing issue. In support of WHO's initiatives, the AMR Industry Alliance (AMRIA) introduced a comprehensive framework for antibiotic manufacturing in 2022, advocating for a risk-based approach to managing manufacturing waste. Moreover, in 2024, WHO issued guidance recommending stricter concentration limits at source boundaries to mitigate excessive releases into water bodies. The directives target regulatory bodies, publicly owned treatment works (POTWs), antibiotic purchasers, pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers, waste facilities, and pharmaceutical investors, with the European Union spearheading efforts to reduce PiE and AMR through forthcoming legislation. Wastewater treatment facilities represent significant potential receptors and sources for ARB and ARGs. These facilities process a mixture of pathogens, resistant genes, and antimicrobial drug residues from various origins, including industrial wastewater, households, and hospitals, leading to a high density of pathogens entering the plant. As treated wastewater is often discharged into aquatic environments, these areas become potential exposure routes for resistant pathogens and genes to humans and animals through irrigation, recreational activities, or drinking water. While drinking water treatment processes generally reduce ARB and ARGs effectively, traces of both have still been detected in treated drinking water. Given the rapid evolution of ARB and ARGs and their mobility between the environment, humans, and animals, predicting the timing and location of resistance emergence is challenging. More comprehensive data is required to characterize the prevalence and implications of AMR in treated municipal wastewater effluent and biosolids. Additionally, further research is essential to enhance understanding of AMR's impact on receiving waters and the associated risks of AMR in treated wastewater discharge, water reuse, and biosolids. In response to these needs, the EPA has allocated $9 million in research grants aimed at addressing knowledge gaps and improving the identification and management of antimicrobial resistance risks. Water scarcity and drought conditions are increasingly affecting various regions in Europe, a situation anticipated to worsen due to climate change. In 2012, the European Commission (EC) expressed its commitment to addressing water scarcity and promoting water reuse. Currently, the EC is focused on establishing minimum quality requirements for water reuse and evaluating the fate of emerging contaminants following irrigation with reclaimed wastewater. Pharmaceuticals are among the emerging contaminants that exhibit persistence and potential bioaccumulation across different environmental compartments, necessitating careful monitoring of their presence in treated wastewater. Similar challenges are faced by arid regions in the western United States, where rising water costs and the widening gap between global water supply and demand pose significant risks if current practices continue, particularly in pharmaceutical product development. In January 2025, US news outlets reported that researchers found wastewater treatment plants remove less than 25% of organo-fluorinated compounds, many of which originate from commonly prescribed medications. This issue is particularly critical during droughts when treated wastewater is reused as drinking water, potentially exposing up to 23 million individuals. This paper will provide an overview of the mechanisms underlying antibiotic resistance and conduct a thorough analysis of existing guidelines, incorporating hypothetical scenarios of antibiotic release from various sources, including residential, healthcare, manufacturing, waste management, and animal health non-point sources. In instances where projected concentrations surpass risk-based thresholds, a range of treatment technologies and considerations will be proposed for the effective mitigation of antibiotic molecules.

This paper was presented at WEFTEC 2025, held September 27-October 1, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.

Presentation time

11:30:00

12:00:00

Session time

10:30:00

12:00:00

SessionPharmaceuticals, AMR, and Wastewater Treatment: Risks and Solutions

Session locationMcCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois, USA

TopicContaminants of Emerging Concern & Trace Organics

Author(s)

Hollerbach, George, Watts, Randall, DiPilato, Jennifer, Vilimanovic, Djordje

Author(s)G. Hollerbach1, R. Watts1, J. DiPilato1, D. Vilimanovic1, , , , , , , , ,

Author affiliation(s)Brown and Caldwell1, Melbourne Water2

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Oct 2025

DOI10.2175/193864718825159956

Volume / Issue

Content sourceWEFTEC

Word count15

Zero Liquid Discharge Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Wastewaters in India

Abstract

Introduction
In late 2018, Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. (Geosyntec) was retained by a confidential pharmaceutical client to perform an independent review of zero liquid discharge (ZLD) systems at two pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in in India. Geosyntec worked with a local firm who provided on-site observation and evaluated process data from each facility to document the wastewater flow balance and confirm controls were in place. Geosyntec provided project management, technical support and peer review of the final report. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) of India defines ZLD as the installation of facilities and systems which will enable industrial effluent for absolute recycling of permeate and converting solute (dissolved organic and inorganic compounds/salts) into residue in the solid form by adopting a method of concentration and thermal evaporation. ZLD is a rising technology in India because of regulatory pressure to select ZLD. Analysis carried out by Global Water Intelligence showed that over 30 environmental clearance reports granted to industrial projects by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) since February 2020 showed that all projects have ZLD conditions attached as part of the project development. Other industries in India, such as food and beverage, steel and textile have incorporated ZLD, even with the high energy consumption, operational costs for equipment cleaning and the need for skilled manpower. In pharma, ZLD was getting attention due to the global concern of antibiotics in the environment and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The discharge of antibiotics and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) in water bodies have been critically investigated in India for over the last 10 years. As of now, the AMR Industry Alliance has called on pharma facilities to reduce the quantity of API released into the environment and evaluate risk by comparing the predicted environmental concentration (PEC) to the predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC). Academia and researchers, working to mitigate antibiotic resistance, believe the PEC should be extremely stringent at the fence line, some suggesting that the effluent limit should equal the PNEC. In January 2020, a full year after our evaluation, MoEF&CC announced very strict standards on concentrations for 121 antibiotics found in the waste discharged by pharmaceutical factories into rivers and the surrounding environment. Pharma facilities and common effluent treatment plants (CETP) with membership of bulk drug and formulation units were subject to the rule. The rule also incorporated ZLD as the technology standard. India became the first country in the world to introduce such standards, meant to reduce chances of creating drug-resistant bacteria, and were ahead of the US and EU in developing numerical permit standards. However, the numerical values were eliminated in a revision in the rule published in August 2021, and the rule is silence to the presence of antibiotics in the effluents and the requirements of ZLD. Treatment Alternatives to Address the Discharge of Antibiotics Many advanced treatment technologies are available to reduce the concentration of antibiotics and other APIs in the final effluent. ZLD is an approach to water treatment where all water is recovered and contaminants are reduced to solid waste. While many water treatment processes attempt to maximize recovery of freshwater and minimize waste, ZLD is the most demanding target since the cost and challenges of recovery increase as the wastewater gets more concentrated. Salinity, scaling compounds, and organics all increase in concentration, which adds energy costs associated with managing these increases. ZLD is achieved by stringing together water treatment technologies that can treat wastewater as the contaminants are concentrated.
Goals and Objectives
The overall goal was to document that each facility maintained in-plant source control and wastewater treatment systems in place to minimize or eliminate the release of treated wastewater and any antibiotics to the environment. Objectives consisted of confirmation that the two plants are: designed and operated as ZLD with no treated wastewater discharge to the environment; well maintained and operated with trained and qualified personnel; and adequate redundancy is provided for standby equipment and storage volumes.
Project Methods/Approach
The Client and Geosyntec conducted the work in a collaborative fashion with the local India team and US team. Our Client's manufacturing platform at the time includes a number of facilities which are in India. Plant A and Plant B, which was the subject of the evaluation, are considered bulk API facilities and designed for antibiotic production. Our approach to perform the work consisted of reviewing: - Sources of wastewater generation; - Wastewater flow generation; - Treatment system review; - Process flow diagram and hydraulic balance; - Permit limits and conditions; - Residual waste handling and disposal; and - Unit operations evaluation , including evaporator, crystallizer and reverse osmosis units. Based on our review, our findings were developed and compared to legal and permit requirements and to determine if the facilities were designed and operated as zero liquid discharge with no treated discharge to the environment. Evaluation of Plant A and Plant B Pant A and Plant B are similar in design. Figure 1 and Figure 2 present the hydraulic balance and ZLD flow diagram for Plant A, respectively. Figure 3 presents the hydraulic balance for Plant B. Table 1 and Table 2 present the flow evaluation of Plant A and Plant B, respectively. All flows are presented as 1000 liters per day (KLD). The treatment technologies evaluated for the high total dissolved solids (TDS) wastewater included solids removal, steam stripping, multiple effect evaporator (MEE), agitated thin film dryer (ATFD) and salt collection and disposal. Condensate from the MEE and ATFD are combined with the low TDS streams generated from equipment washing, utility blowdown, etc. Subsequential process units consist of primary and biological treatment, membrane bioreactor polishing and reverse osmosis in series for utility reuse. The paper and presentation will also include other design and operational issues, water chemistry objectives for reuse in utilities and cooling tower makeup, membrane fouling challenges, RO recovery, brine management and disposal alternatives and energy consumption and operational cost. Conclusions The ZLD facility at both Plant A and Plant B are designed and operated as ZLD with no treated wastewater discharge to the environment. Both plants are well maintained and operated with trained and qualified staff and adequate redundancy is provided for standby equipment and storage volumes. In addition, periodic reviews are completed and ensure proper operation and consistent performance.

Zero liquid discharge (ZLD) is a water treatment process where all water is recovered and contaminants are reduced to a solid waste for landfill. While many water treatment processes attempt to maximize recovery of freshwater and minimize waste, ZLD is the most demanding. To be considered a true ZLD facility, the site border is the process boundary where wastewater must be treated, recycled, and converted to solids. A true ZLD system eliminates discharge of liquids to surface waters or sewers.

SpeakerHollerbach, George

Presentation time

09:25:00

09:40:00

Session time

08:30:00

10:00:00

TopicIntermediate Level, Industrial Issues and Treatment Technologies, Microconstituents and Contaminants of Emerging Concern (Non-PFAS), Water Reuse and Reclamation

Author(s)

Hollerbach, George

Author(s)George Hollerbach1; Joseph Cleary2

Author affiliation(s)Geosyntec Consultants, Inc., Lyndhurst, NJ1; Geosyntec Consultants, Inc., Lyndhurst, NJ2