AN EVALUATION FOR WATER REUSE USING ADVANCED WASTE
TREATMENT AT A MEAT PACKING PLANT
James Kane, Research Engineer
Richard Osantowski, Project Engineer
Environmental Research Center
Rexnord, Inc.
Milwaukee, Wiscon sin 53214
This project was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of selected advanced waste
treatment technologies for renovating industrial process waters to meet non-potable reuse
applications. The project was funded by the Office of Water Research and Technology
under Contract No. 14-34-0001-7805. Existing water supply sources can be supplemented
by wastewater reuse, conserving limited national water resources. Specifically, the purpose
of this project was to determine the most feasible and economical approach to treat and
reuse the wastewaters now generated from selected high water usage industries. The industries chosen may be identified by the products manufactured, namely, (a) paper products,
(b) food products, and (c) organic chemical products. This paper reports on the research
performed at the food products site.
The project objective was achieved through the performance of an in-depth pilot plant
program investigating the applicability of the advanced treatment methods (ion exchange,
reverse osmosis, and electrodialysis) for renovating the food products waste water. The
study was performed using mobile treatment facilities containing pilot scale desalting and
pretreatment equipment. The portable waste treatment systems were field operated at
the food products site to evaluate the applicability and feasibility of the selected treatment
technologies to renovation of the food products wastewater. The pilot scale systems were
of sufficient size to permit scale-up of performance and basic design criteria to full size
equipment. The period of time spent on-site was 10 weeks.
The advanced waste treatment methods investigated were:
1. chemical flocculation/clarification (CT) + dual media filtration (DMF) + reverse osmosis
(RO);
2. CT + DMF + activated carbon adsorption (AC) + ion exchange (IE); and
3. CT + DMF + AC + electrodialysis (ED).
For each treatment train investigated, samples and operational data were obtained for
later use in evaluating and comparing the adequacy of the individual advanced waste treatment methods.
Evaluation and comparison of the data were performed using the criteria (a) process
and/or treatment performance, (b) residual or side-stream characteristics and disposal
options, (c) capital and operating costs, and (d) space requirements.
DESCRIPTION OF PILOT EQUIPMENT
Pretreatment for the desalting technologies was provided throughout the study by the
Rexnord Advanced Waste Treatment (AWT) van. Major components of this system include
flocculation/clarification, dual media pressure filtration, and activated carbon adsorption.
The Rexnord AWT van contains an extensive system of pressure and flow gauges, pH and
flow recorders, and  automatic control loops for pH, flow control and filter backwash.
The clarification system consisted of a 7,570 C (2,000 gal) flocculator/clarifier with a
net surface area for clarification of 4.0 m2 (43.37 ft2). Chemical addition is accomplished
with a five pump system. The pressure dual media filter was a 50.8-cm (20-in.) diameter unit
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