Enable Data Visibility for Water Reuse at Food and Dairy Plants

Hormel is an example of teams coming together to implement a water management project at its Dubuque, Iowa, plant. The food giant implemented a reverse osmosis concentrate (ROC) solution in this plant, reusing water from boilers and replacing cold, soft water from a municipal water/wastewater plant for all of its retort cooking.

“At the plant level, we developed strategic energy management teams that promote our goals, our mission, which is energy conservation and cost savings projects,” said Randy Thole, manager of plant engineering for Hormel Foods during a ProFood World webinar.

The water reuse project did have risks and challenges. “Water pressure was always there with city water,” said Thole. “Now, using a pump system, supply control is critical, and additional control helps monitor the system continuously. We added multiple backup systems in case one would fail.” For Hormel, the ROC project paid off by reducing water use by 7.28 million gallons per year in the first phase, representing an 8% reduction for water and a 10% reduction for wastewater.

Hormel utilized an outside firm to assist with the Iowa project; however, applying reuse solutions across multiple dairy plants is not always feasible. The distance between the retort cooking equipment and ROC technology for Hormel in the Iowa plant was ideal. “The starting point for food processors is conducting a comprehensive water mapping exercise—identifying where water enters and how it’s used in various operations,” adds Rasinen.

Solutions for dairy and beer plants

The Hormel application reveals how to reduce water usage and also achieve cost reduction by avoiding water/wastewater treatment. “It’s not uncommon for dairy plants to be paying upwards of $100,000 to $200,000 a month or more in municipal wastewater surcharges due to high organic loading,” said Shane Wiercinski, Director of Wastewater Solutions at Complete Filtration Resources, Inc. in a recent webinar.”

Wiercinsk advocates for RO, MBR, or anaerobic MBR co-located solutions for high-volume dairy and food processing plants. Complete Filtration Resources, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of membrane systems, showcased a feasibility study on a company that incurred water discharge costs of $2 million per year.

According to ISG, recycled water is often used as makeup water for cooling towers and boilers. However, these streams are frequently unmetered, making it hard to measure usage and build a strong case for the feasibility of reuse.ISG“We ran an economic analysis to compare anaerobic MBR versus outsourcing treatment to the city,” said Wiercinski. “The MBR solution would treat the waste, wastewater, and get it below their surcharge limits, and simultaneously give them the opportunity to generate valuable biogas.”  The study captured capital equipment, the cost of chemical consumption each year, sludge, haul-outs, and any additional costs associated with wastewater treatment. Also included in the feasibility study was the creation of biogas for a combined heat and power (CHP) unit to generate electricity for the wastewater plant application.

“When the math was run on the capital price and operating expenses, it came to $13 million total cost of ownership over a 10-year period, which would save the customer about $7 million over 10 years,” cited Wiercinski.

Additionally, drying volatile solids in wastewater is an energy-intensive process. “One important aspect is the integration of water and energy management,” says Siemens’ Ahmadi. “Water reuse is not only about saving water but also about reducing the energy demand associated with treatment and heating.” Siemens is utilizing digital twin technology to connect water treatment directly with energy systems, enabling customers to measure, optimize, and scale their reuse strategies.

In addition to energy monitoring at the system software level, advanced automation and controls are being added to equipment in the craft brewing segment. For brewers, chilling equipment is integral to the yeast fermentation process and must be carefully controlled; excessive heat can lead to unwarranted flavors during fermentation. 

G&D Chillers partnered with Siemens to integrate advanced controls into its line of vertical and horizontal chillers, and recently Barnum Mechanical Inc. recommended this solution to Russian River Brewery in Windsor, Calif. Barnum Mechanical installed a custom-designed G&D chiller at the brewery, which would reduce water consumption at a facility producing as many as 35,000 barrels annually.

Food manufacturers are adding digital tools and real-time data analytics to find water reuse opportunities.branex / Adobe StockThe chiller at Russian River Brewery is a hybrid system that utilizes both air and reclaimed water from the facility’s MBR, which removes 99% of all contaminants from industrial wastewater. The reusable water is used throughout the plant, including in clean-in-place (CIP) systems. The new chiller also reduces energy consumption by up to 40% compared to other similarly sized systems.

“The chiller’s control system constantly economizes the evaporative condenser,” says Jared McClintock, Business Development Engineer at Barnum Mechanical. “It has the difficult challenge of using as much free cooling from the Cambrian MBR water while still outputting the targeted temperature setpoint. The better the control system is at doing this, the greater the amount of energy saved.”

An engaged workforce

While significant capital investments yield substantial results, an engaged workforce is crucial to identifying reuse opportunities. “It’s helpful to think in terms of complete water circularity, not just wastewater reuse,” says Ecolab’s Rasinen. “There's a lot of value to be gained upstream—reducing rinse steps, using more effective cleaning solutions or optimizing CIP cycles through digital tools.”

Small investments in digital tools and the addition of meters can initiate a program. According to ISG’s Kloos, “Accurate and detailed tracking leads to 100% accountability for water utilization, often leading to the discovery of leaks or other opportunities for immediate improvement.”