The Sugar Factory
Pollution Abatement in Louisiana —
The Case History of a Drainage Basin
R. A. LAFLEUR, Assistant Chief
Division of Water Pollution Control
Louisiana Wild Life and Fisheries Commission
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Pollution by sugar factory waste was a regular occurrence in many
sections of the sugar cane growing region of the state for many years. The
degree and extent of stream pollution increased through the years to the point
that public interest demanded remedial measures be taken to abate the seasonal contamination of streams receiving this waste. Some 20 years ago the
Louisiana Stream Control Commission was established. Serious efforts to
eliminate and/or reduce this pollution were made for a number of years; however, during and following the years of World War II, an inadequate supply
of trained personnel was available to satisfactorily maintain proper surveillance over the affected streams. The degree of pollution resulted in septic
streams within two weeks after grinding operations began.
Beginning with the 1954 grinding season, a systematic program was inaugurated in which at weekly intervals waste discharges and receiving streams
were samples for BOD, dissolved oxygen and pH. In addition, flow rates were
recorded on all waste discharged to the streams.
As a result of this intensive sampling and data accumulating program,
certain stream and effluent quality standards were adopted to effect the abatement of this pollution. Included among these standards were segregation of
the various wastes, impoundment of certain of these wastes considered to be
of less than discharge quality, and improvement of quality of wastes slated
for immediate discharge to the extent that no harmful effects to the stream
would result.
Of the several streams receiving effluent discharges from raw sugar factories, Bayou Teche, in south central Louisiana, is the receiving water body
for seven of these factories that are located within a 65 mile stretch of the
bayou. Approximately two-thirds of the 65 miles is tidally affected. Thus,
waste assimilation in the stream is intermittently seriously hampered. Further,
the bayou has three distributaries through which considerable volumes of water
are lost; this situation significantly reduces available dilution water.
Another factor that seriously affects stream flow and effluent quality is
rainfall. Normally, the months of October, November, and December are
periods of comparatively lower rainfall; the abnormal, however, does occur.
Reduced and excessive precipitation have both desirable and undesirable effects during the grinding season. Reduced rainfall naturally reduces available
stream flow for waste assimilation; however, this phenomenon allows for
cleaner cane to be processed in the factory. On the other hand, while excessive rainfall increases stream flow, it also makes for harvesting muddier cane
with more trash that impairs factory processing and results in poorer effluent
quality.
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