In almost all areas of the United States, there is a definite uptick in the number and type of local distilleries that are opening. This is largely due to a consumer trend towards small batch production of different types of spirits, and a move away from brands offering mass production inside or outside of the USA.
This is great for local economies and local distilleries, but it also creates stress on municipal wastewater systems. In all areas of the country, all wastewater from distilleries has to be treated to remove organic materials, solids, and inorganic chemicals to limit the negative impact of these materials on the wastewater treatment plants. This results in high costs of wastewater treatment for distilleries, or the need to build on-site wastewater treatment facilities.
The Dewatering Option
Rather than building and maintaining wastewater facilities for small production, a better option is to use a dewatering process. This is an effective option for both distillery wastewater treatment and disposal of solids that meets all local, state, and federal regulations.
Dewatering is not a new process, but with new technology is a cost-effective, highly efficient, and environmentally friendly option for distillery wastewater treatment and disposal of solids. It uses a roll-off tank that can be designed to accommodate 15 cubic feet or 30 cubic feet of solids and to process between 10,000 and 25,000 gallons of wastewater at 2% solids.
The wastewater is pumped into the tank by a separate pump. In the tank, the effluent water is filtered through specific polymers, which trap the organic solids and chemicals and remove them from the water. The resulting water, which meets standards for disposal in the sewer system is simply run to the sewer in a hose, and the solids remain in the tank.
This option for distillery wastewater treatment and disposal of the solid waste allows the distillery to schedule a pickup of the tank, or to run their own truck. This also provides a cost control feature for the distillery and uses a low to no-maintenance system that is highly efficient.
