Liquid Assets: Food industry wastewater

As climate change and population growth put increasing demand on global water resources, sustainable water management has become essential across industries. The food sector has a significant role to play in this effort. With a large water and wastewater footprint and unique processing needs, manufacturers in this industry have the opportunity to make impactful strides in sustainable practices. From managing high-strength organic wastewater to reducing overall water use, food manufacturers are innovating new ways to address these challenges and contribute to a more sustainable future.

Industry leaders are implementing advanced treatment technologies that enable them to meet more stringent regulatory standards and enhance resource recovery while strengthening their bottom line. And the momentum is building. Bluefield Research estimates the sector will invest more than $112 billion in water and wastewater management over the next 6 years.

Turning wastewater challenges into reuse opportunities

Working with trusted partners, food companies are designing and deploying advanced water treatment systems to manage high-strength organic wastewater. These solutions allow manufacturers to examine the potential to recover valuable products. Anaerobic digestion converts organic waste into biogas suitable for generating green energy, while aerobic treatment further purifies the remaining effluent for discharge or reuse.

By leveraging these advanced treatment and reuse solutions, food producers are generating significant cost and energy savings, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and building resilience by reducing their reliance on the grid. They are also advancing responsible corporate water stewardship, an important differentiator for many investors and consumers.

Advanced treatment success story: AB Mauri

AB Mauri, a division of Associated British Foods (ABF), is one of the world's largest producers and distributors of bakery ingredients such as yeast, spices, and bread and cake mixes. The company's holistic approach to baking includes a wide range of chemistry and technology applications in addition to its high-quality end products.

When AB Mauri built a large, state-of-the-art yeast manufacturing plant in Veracruz, Mexico, it needed to develop a unique wastewater treatment system on-site to reduce hard-to-break-down organic matter from sugarcane molasses used in production.

The manufacturer sought a solution that could effectively treat this wastewater challenge to ensure compliance with regulated discharge requirements. Additionally, the company wanted to convert waste into an asset and leverage biogas to fuel the plant's boiler.

Partnering for sustainable, clean energy solutions

AB Mauri entrusted Xylem's ADI Systems to custom design a comprehensive wastewater treatment solution consisting of an anaerobic-aerobic treatment train to tackle the problematic effluent and convert the bulk of the organic load into biogas. A sequencing batch reactor then addresses impurities in the remaining waste for reuse or final discharge.

Advanced treatment technology has helped the manufacturer remain environmentally compliant by reducing the organic load from its wastewater.

The waste-to-energy solution also produces a renewable energy source, helping to lower operation costs and decrease the facility's carbon footprint. A great example: approximately half of the production plant's steam requirement in one of AB Mauri's process boilers is now powered by biogas.

Advancing sustainable water management in Argentina

AB Mauri has embraced sustainable water practices in other global plants. In Argentina, the manufacturer is also using an anaerobic reactor and biogas recovery system from Xylem to treat effluent and generate steam at its Tucuman plant.

By capturing biogas and using it to replace fossil fuels, the plant displaces the equivalent of 18,700 MWh - the annual energy usage of around 1,700 U.S. homes*.

This solution helps the company meet stricter wastewater compliance standards, reduce operational costs and significantly lower its carbon footprint.

The treatment system has been registered as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project contributing to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change - an industry first in Argentina.

Learn more about Xylem's Food and Beverage solutions.

*Figure calculated using the US EPA's Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies calculator.

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