Water Conservation and Reuse in the
Canning Industry
L. E. STREEBIN, Associate Professor
L. W. CANTER, Assistant Professor
J. R. PALAFOX, Research Assistant
University of Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma
INTRODUCTION
The canning of fruits and vegetables is a wide-spread and expanding industry,
with nearly 2,000 canneries processing over 1,200 different food items located in 49
of the 50 states (1). Since canneries in general are large water users and wastewater
generators, the availability of a water supply as well as the capability for wastewater
treatment are major items of interest to this industry. In addition, in many
communities canneries are major water users, and plant expansion may be limited by
either the availability of the water supply or the capacity of the wastewater disposal
system. Therefore, in order to alleviate these constraints, attention is increasingly
being given to in-plant water conservation and reuse.
The benefits from industrial water conservation and reuse are manifold.
Through proper management, all water can be used to the maximum extent before
disposal, thus resulting in a lesser demand from the primary source, thereby releasing
to some degree the constraints imposed by the quantity and quality of this source.
Another benefit would be increased product recovery and more efficient use of the
raw materials. Minimization of the waste treatment problem would also result from
improved control. With these objectives in mind, a study directed toward the
development of a water conservation and reuse program at the Stilwell Canning
Company in Stilwell, Oklahoma, was conducted during the fall canning season of
1970. A summary of the results of this study is contained in this paper. It should be
noted that due to the many similarities in processing operations in canneries, the
development of a water conservation and reuse program for one cannery would be of
general applicability for many canneries.
THE STILWELL CANNING COMPANY
The Stilwell Canning Company cans and freezes a wide variety of vegetables
and fruits which include spinach, strawberries, green beans, yellow squash, okra,
peas, beans, white potatoes, and sweet potatoes, with potatoes being the dominant
product. It is situated in a small community with a population of only 2,600 and
during the potato processing season, has a mean population equivalent of 150,000. It
is located on a small receiving spring-fed stream which has a summer flow
approximately equivalent to the waste flow. Consequently, a high treatment
efficiency is required in order to maintain acceptable stream standards.
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