Waste processing

Ready for Re-use:

Membrane Bioreactors Make
Water Recycling a Reality
With rising cost pressures and environmental concerns, large scale industrial
water users may find it worth their while to ‘close the loop’ in water use and
recycling. This article shows how membrane bioreactors can offer an effective
and space-efficient method for treating industrial effluent for plant re-use.

By Geraint Catley and
Wesley Jones
Figure 1: Basic Process Flow
Diagram for AMBR Process
I
N AN environment of increasing
water costs and legislative pressure
through IPPC (Integrated Pollution
Prevention and Control), the Water
Framework Directive and the Landfill
Directive, the manufacturing industry in
the UK is being urged to look closely at
their water use and where possible,
consider recycling. In Asia, where
industrial water users face long term
supply constraints and tighter regulatory
initiatives, plants with the requisite
volumes may find proven effluent
recycling technologies a viable
consideration.
Unlike more traditional wastewater
treatment processes such as conventional
activated sludge (AS) systems, membrane
bioreactors (MBRs) can deliver effluent
of sufficient high quality and with the
reliability required to make water
recycling a reality. In addition, MBRs can
achieve this in a fraction of the footprint
area compared to a traditional system.
Aquabio, a UK-based company, have
designed and installed ‘turnkey’
wastewater treatment and re-use plants at
Kanes Foods, in Worcestershire and
Bourne Salads (Geest) in Lincolnshire.
Both projects were developed in the face
of increasing demand for water re-use,
driven by high costs for potable water
supply and high disposal costs when
discharging waste-water to sewer. With
the installation of MBRs and tertiary
reverse osmosis (RO) plants, Kanes Foods
and Bourne Salads can
now cost effectively
treat their wastewater to
the high standards nece-
ssary for potable re-use.
‘Closing the loop’
within their operating
units brings revenue
savings, strategic
control over their own
water resources and
significant flexibility for
factory growth and
production without
external dependence on
the Water Companies.
This article looks at
both projects high-

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Waste processing

lighting the problems faced by each Table 1: Comparison of design basis for
company and how these were solved Kanes Foods and Bourne Salads
using MBR technology.
Parameter Kanes Foods Bourne Salads
The Aquabio AMBR process
Volume to screening/ balancing 1,200 m3/day 1,200 m3/day
The Advanced Membrane Bioreactor
Process (AMBR) is a high performance COD concentration (average) 1,000 mg/l 400 mg/l
and robust biological process, utilising a Volume to AMBR process 3
815 m /day 1,200 m3/day
small footprint and yielding treated water
COD Load to AMBR process 815 kg COD/day 480 kg COD/day
suitable for direct feed to a reverse osmosis
process to allow water re-use. This MBR Volume to RO system 815 m3/day 600 m3/day
configuration comprises the use of jet Volume of potable quality 650 m3/day 450 m3/day
aeration within the bioreactor and external water for re-use
‘cross-flow’ type ultrafiltration (UF)
membranes for biomass separation. (see flux rates then submerged ‘gravity’ type volumetric discharge to sewer. The
Figure 1 on pg. 13). mem-branes. External membranes are company was faced with either
The use of the JETOX system (jet also much easier to clean and maintain. contributing to a significant upgrade of
aeration) within the bioreactor delivers The use of a true ultrafiltration membrane the local sewage facility or developing an
high oxygen transfer rates via easily with a low molecular cut off allows direct ‘in house’effluent strategy involving both
accessible and low maintenance application of the UF permeate to reverse treatment and re-use of water.
equipment. This system also allows osmosis treatment without the need for For both sites Aquabio were
separate control of air injection and reactor intermediate processes. commissioned to survey the existing
mixing functions, resul-ting in effluent treatment facilities and develop a
significantly reduced power use for Case studies: Kanes Foods and full scale design which would provide full
processes with high fluctuations in reactor Bourne Salads biological treatment in a MBR system
feed load, typical of industrial effluents. Kanes Foods is a major fresh followed by RO and UV disinfection
The use of UF membranes for vegetable and salads processor based in allowing re-use into the factory.
biomass separation allows the operating the Midlands, UK. Hydraulic limitations To provide full confidence in the
biomass concentrations in the treatment solution, pilot studies
bioreactor to be increased to a range were carried out using Aquabio’s
of 10,000-30,000 mg/l (MLSS). AMBR and RO Pilot Plants. It was
Hence in comparison with proven that sufficient treatment
conventional AS units the could be achieved on a reliable
bioreactor tank can be 3-10 times basis and that the final RO treated
smaller in volume. This, coupled water was fully compliant with the
with the fact that the UF parameters set out in the UK Water
membranes take up far less space Supply (Water Quality)
than a traditional final settlement Regulations 2000.
tank, means that theAMBR process Table 1 shows some of the
has a very small footprint. design parameters for both projects.
Furthermore, as biomass is At Kanes Foods the AMBR
separated by UF membranes, the Figure 2: UF Membrane Banks at Kanes Foods process takes the form of two No.
inherent problems associated with 250m3 bio-reactors. These are
settlement tanks e.g. sludge bulking, are on discharge to the sewer, increasing aerated and mixed by 2 No. Jetox aeration
removed leading to easier operation and pressure on incoming water use, systems providing a total of 1,980 kg O2/
a greater degree of process control. increasing discharge costs and the need day. The contents of the bioreactor are
Both clients selected the ‘cross flow’ for factory expansion highlighted the pumped continuously through four banks
UF membrane AMBR system due to a potential benefits of water recycling. of UF cross-flow membranes (see Figure
number of reasons. The prices for the UF Bourne Salads, part of Geest PLC, 2).
membranes were lower than the found themselves in a similar position. The biologically treated water is
equivalent ‘submerged type’membranes. Since the factory was built in 1997, removed as permeate from the UF
In addition the external cross-flow dynamic growth has lead to considerable membranes. At this stage the water is
membranes offer much greater permeate expansion and a resultant increase in solids and bacteria free, containing only

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 Waste processing

low residuals of BOD/COD. The are virtually undetectable (< 10

UF permeate is then passed mg/l). This allows direct
through a 2-stage RO plant, application of the tertiary RO
which acts as a molecular ‘filter’ process.
producing very high quality Following RO, the final re-
water. The molecular cut-off of use water is suspended solids free
the selected UF and RO with conductivity in the range of
membranes provide a complete 40-100 µS/cm2. Regular
barrier to bacteria, monitoring of the water has
Cryptosporidium and Giardia shown it to be completely clear
cysts but a final safeguard is of total coliforms and bacteria
applied by the use of UV and fully compliant with the UK
disinfection treatment. Following Water Supply (Water Quality)
UV, the treated water is mixed Figure 3: RO System at Bourne Salads. Regulations 2000, allowing it to
with incoming towns water for be designated as ‘wholesome’
re-use in the factory. period of time after start-up of the and suitable for contact with food
At Bourne Salads an existing storage bioreactor. COD removal is in excess of products.
tank was converted into a bioreactor by 92% with UF permeate concentrations With the above performances both
adding JETOX aeration systems. The UF consistently below 30 mg/l. Figure 4 also factories have been able to recycle a
membrane separation system consists of shows the AMBR’s ability to cope with significant proportion of their total water
3 No. UF membrane banks retrofitted into variable feed COD concentrations whilst usage, thus giving savings on both water
an existing building. Like Kanes, further maintai-ning very low and stable outlet supply and trade effluent discharge costs.
treatment is achieved through a 2-stage concentrations. Bourne Salads are able to recycle up to
RO system with a recovery rate of circa UF membrane perfor-mance for both 45%, yielding annual net savings of circa
75% (see Figure 3). Again UV sites have been better than design with £250,000. A recent upgrade to the RO
disinfection is applied prior to mixing with permeate flux averaging 154 l/m2 hr and system at Kanes has increased their
towns water and re-use throughout the 161 l/m2 hr for both Kanes and Bourne maximum re-use water rate to 960 m3/
factory processes. Salads respectively. This has allowed one day (64% of current water use) increasing
bank at each site to be kept as a standby, annual net savings to around £320,000.
Operating performances leading to lower energy usage and greater
Figure 4 shows typical COD removal operational flexibility. Conclusion
at theAMBR plant at Bourne Salads. Both The membrane separation process For each project, the AMBR
sites have shown high rates of COD provides ‘filtered’ quality water and technology has provided a compact and
removal being achieved within a short therefore suspended solids in the permeate reliable biological process, and in
combination with RO/UV has
allowed recycling to potable water
standards. At both sites, pressure on
discharge limits has been alleviated,
allowing the companies greater
flexibility in operation and scope for
increased production.
Both projects have delivered
significant cost savings on water
supply and trade effluent discharge.
The combination of AMBR/RO/UV
has delivered a commercially
attractive water treatment and re-use
solution. Enquiry No: 013

Geraint Catley is Process

Engineering Manager, and
Wesley Jones is Sales Manager
Figure 4: COD Removal, AMBR Plant Bourne Salads at Aquabio Ltd.

FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE/JULY 2005