Meat + Poultry - April 2004 - 30

Managing
costs:
costs

Water
Reuse options
In the fall of 1999, U.S.D.A. issued regulations that allowed water reuse in meat and poultry plants. The regulations allow the reuse of effluent from advanced wastewater treatment systems in certain applications. For example, reused water can be used for refrigeration condenser makeup, water for poultry cage washing operations and water
used in outside sanitation operations.
During the past five years, a significant
number of poultry plants have implemented large scale water treatment and reuse
programs. "Using reused water isn't rocket
science," says Woodruff. "Companies have
to figure out where water is being used and
what the potential is for reused water supplies, and then they need to figure out how
to make it work.
"Some plants have installed water reuse systems that can recycle 500,000
gallons of water per day from chillers and
other sources. These systems allow water
to be reused in product contact applications. However, these systems won't lead
to savings if a company just shifts water
reductions to higher usage in other areas
Want to remove wastewater solids in
of a plant."
one pass? Then you want the all-in-one
Richardson says some companies are
Auger Monster® screen.
running into trouble with reused water.
"Perception is reality in the food industry,"
The Auger Monster is a wastewater
she says. "There are companies capable of
workhorse performing several
treating wastewater to drinking water qualscreening and removal functions
ity, but they are not using it because of fear
in a compact, easy to install
the public will find out. There is a perceppackage. The five stages (grinding,
tion that treated wastewater is bad and that
removing, washing, conveying and
means water is not being reused in places
dewatering) capture unwanted
that it should."
solids and result in remarkably
As the cost of water increases throughclean and nearly fecal free
out the meat and poultry industry, efforts to
conserve will continue to evolve. "I recently
screenings discharge.
attended a meeting sponsored by one of
Call (800) 331-2277
the country's larger food companies and
today and a friendly,
its organizers said their two biggest cost
local JWC rep will help
increases are in water and energy," says
you solve the toughest
Richardson. "These costs will not go down.
Companies need to start figuring out how
wastewater treatment
to manage their costs, if they have not
challenges.
done it already."
M&P

make them logical," says Richardson. "I've seen crews clean the same
area five times in the same shift. They weren't organized and kept going over areas that they had already cleaned."
Woodruff notes that often sanitation crews need five hours to
properly clean, but only have three due to production issues earlier in the day. "Crews can use a tremendous amount of water to try
and cover that time."

Auger Monster®
model CMD

(800) 331-2277 * (949) 833-3888
www.jwce.com

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We would like to hear from you-
your comments and questions
about this article are welcome.
E-mail the author at: knunes@sosland.com

APRIL 2004

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Meat + Poultry - April 2004

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