Aerofloat moved and upgraded its existing brewery wastewater treatment system at 4 Pines Brewery to meet production growth.
Social and environmental responsibility is integral to 4 Pines Brewing Company’s ongoing growth strategy. Expanding its Brookvale premises in Sydney meant leaving a minimal environmental footprint; Aerofloat’s existing brewery wastewater treatment system was therefore upgraded rather than replaced in the move.
“4 Pines strives to waste less and repurpose. We re-use and recycle. It was important that our existing wastewater treatment system came with us when we expanded onto the new site,” said Tristan Houghton, Maintenance Manager at 4 Pines Brookvale.
Aerofloat’s original brewery wastewater treatment system installed in 2018 was re-used and readily transported to the new site. Aerofloat’s engineers were on hand to support the installation and to ensure the system was up and running within the tight schedule.
“The engineers at Aerofloat are terrific to work with. They really care about ensuring the best result possible and are always on hand if we need specialist advice,” said Houghton.
Aerofloat’s compact brewery wastewater treatment system had been installed on the previous Brookvale site in 2018. The site quickly became a major location for producing 4 Pines’ famous Australian brews, with production increasing by up to 50%. Aerofloat’s compact system managed the rapid growth in wastewater flow and has ensured ongoing compliant effluent for the company ever since.
As part of the recent move to new premises, Aerofloat upgraded the existing brewery wastewater treatment system by streamlining the chemical supply, including optimising the flocculant to the brewery’s wastewater and installing new flow sensors to regulate control. Combined with the latest human–machine interface (HMI) technology, the staff at 4 Pines can keep an eye on the brewery wastewater treatment system even when not on-site. Aerofloat’s engineers can also remotely log in to adjust the system as requested and offer advice.
“We’ve been able to increase efficiencies across our operations and reduce our environmental footprint even further since the Aerofloat wastewater treatment system upgrade,” said Houghton.
The brewery wastewater treatment system on site consists of Aerofloat’s patented dissolved air flotation (AeroDAF) technology. The AeroDAF system is compact and ensures an odour-free solution. With the bar area located on site, an odourless effluent was necessary to ensure a pleasant environment for clientele. The AeroDAF is an enclosed system and any potential odours are vented well above the roofline.
Aerofloat’s AeroDAF technology is low maintenance, mechanically simple, and affordable. The absence of mechanical scrapers seen in more traditional DAFs means that operations don’t need to be suspended for standard DAF cleaning. It also eliminates the need for a sludge pump, reaction tank, and sludge hopper for cleaning.
The 4 Pines solution was designed as a set-and-forget system, with Aerofloat’s automated controls including chemical make-up and dosing, level control, pH correction and water consolidation. The system removes solids from the brewery wastewater and corrects the pH before then discharging to sewer.
The Aerofloat system has consistently given excellent effluent results to 4 Pines Brewery, both at the previous site and the new 2020 location, meeting both 4 Pines’ environmental mandate and Sydney Water’s strict discharge limits.
Read the full article online in What’s New In Food Technology Magazine
Contact Aerofloat to discuss your brewery wastewater treatment options.
