Canneries Meet Best Practicable Control
Technology Requirements
S. BALAKRISHNAN, Engineer
A.F. LISANTI, Engineer
The Chester Engineers
Coraopolis, Pennsylvania 15108
INTRODUCTION
This paper presents the case histories of the wastewater treatment facilities of the four
Comstock Foods Canneries. Each plant is located in upstate New York and the treatment
facilities were designed to satisfy the requirements of the New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation (NYDEC). In accomplishing that goal, we believe the
treatment facilities will also satisfy the Best Practicable Control Technology required by the
Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) is in the process of
establishing the quantity or quality of constituents which may be discharged by a point
source from the canned and preserved fruits and vegetables industry. These effluent
limitations will be based on the best practicable control technology currently available
(BPCTCA) and also on the best available technology economically achievable (BATEA).
In the meantime, USEPA is using "interim effluent limitations"for issuing the permits and
the values (1) for the raw materials used in these canneries as given in Table I.
TABLE I
EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS (INTERIM)*
RAW MATERIAL BPCTCA (INTERIM)
BODs, lb/1,000 lb
SS, lb/1,000 lb
pH
Beets
0.6
0.8
Carrots
0.6
0.85
within the
Apples**
0.6(I.2)t
0.8(1.6)
range
Cabbage
0.15
0.10
6.0 to 9.0
Beans
0.8
1.0
* Average of 30 consecutive daily values
** BPCTCA published in March, 1974
t Figures in parentheses are maximum for any one day
In the State of New York, in addition to the EPA's effluent Guidelines and Standards,
the wastewater discharges must receive a minimum of secondary treatment and the waste
load discharged must be well within the allocated limits. The allocations are based on the
stream assimilative capacity and the number of users of the receiving stream.
The case histories are presented in order to demonstrate the types of treatment
facilities, cost and challenges involved in meeting the BPCTCA requirements. It is not the
intent of the paper to evaluate all the parameters and requirements of the USEPA.
RED CREEK PLANT
Aerated lagoon treatment and controlled release of treated wastewater was selected for
262