Brewery Wastewater Treatment Services: What to Know

Craft breweries and microbreweries are a common sight in Michigan and beyond. However, the brewing process creates far more wastewater than it creates beer or ale. Whether you’re a brewery or part of a community with a brewery, we can help you better accommodate your brewery wastewater treatment plan to keep your local environment and wastewater systems safe.

Why Does Brewery Wastewater Need Treatment?

Breweries produce a lot of wastewater every day during production. This water is typically full of organic content as a byproduct of the brewing process, such as alcohol, fermentable sugar, phosphoric acid, hop resins, and more. In turn, the wastewater usually has a very high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) as a result.

Any brewery that introduces its production wastewater to the sewer system must ensure it meets local discharge limits and restrictions. Otherwise, it could potentially damage municipal wastewater systems, harm ecosystems downstream, or be introduced to local water supplies.

High BOD in Brewery Wastewater

BOD refers to the chemical measurement of how much oxygen microorganisms and bacteria need to break down organic matter in the water. High BOD levels cause these microorganisms to consume more oxygen, which in turn can kill aquatic wildlife and plants.

Having lower BOD levels allows aquatic animals such as fish and shellfish to breathe more easily—which is why municipal and state regulations typically require wastewater to have a BOD below certain levels. Breweries frequently have a BOD that’s four times higher than standard residential wastewater due to the requirements of the brewing process, along with the wash water needed to keep the brewery clean.

High TSS in Wastewater

Total suspended solids (TSS) are solids in water that a filter can catch—it’s effectively a measure of how dirty the water is based on the amount of solid material suspended in it. Water with a high TSS level can negatively impact ecosystems as a pollutant when it’s introduced to surface waters.

Phosphorus Pollution

Breweries frequently use chemicals containing phosphorus to clean their kegs and brewing vessels and prevent contamination. As a result, phosphorus levels in brewery wastewater can be up to 10 times higher than those in domestic wastewater.

At these concentrations, even a small amount of wastewater can be more than the standard municipal treatment plant can handle. For this reason alone, brewery wastewater would require additional treatment at the wastewater plant before it enters the municipal sanitary system—which can be extremely expensive for their operating costs.

Uncontrolled pH Levels

Brewery wastewater usually has a very high, alkaline pH levels as a byproduct of the brewing process. This makes the likelihood of more solid deposits in the water treatment system greater and increases the amount of sludge that treatment facilities and pumps will accumulate during the process.

By contrast, certain cleaners used in brewing operations can have extremely low, acidic pH levels—which corrodes sewer pipes and slowly ruins pump station equipment. Failure to treat brewery wastewater can cause both of these problems for a community’s wastewater system.

Benefits of Using a Brewery Wastewater Treatment Service

Brewers don’t enjoy talking wastewater, but it’s a big part of their business operations. Every barrel of beer or ale comes with between two and seven barrels of wastewater—which equates to roughly 70% of the water utilized during the brewing process. This means treating brewery wastewater is essential. Working with a dedicated treatment service makes it easier.

Some of the benefits of working with a brewery wastewater treatment service include:

• Maintaining compliance: Improperly discharged waste won’t just damage your system and overload your local wastewater treatment plant—it can also get you fined. Properly treating your brewery’s wastewater before it leaves your property is both essential and smart.

• Reducing maintenance costs: Properly handling brewery wastewater treatment reduces the sludge that creates damage to your brewery’s pipes and systems.

• Minimizing pollutants in the ecosystem: This is good news for anyone who relies on the water—which is everyone.

• Saving water: Using a proper brewery wastewater treatment system allows you to monitor and potentially reduce your water consumption.

Types of Brewery Wastewater Treatment Processes

Industrial Pre-Treatment Program

Larger breweries may require an industrial pretreatment program (IPP), depending on their output and planned wastewater discharge. At F&V, we’re equipped to help breweries handle these levels of wastewater discharge. However, there are a few things we need to know about your brewery, including:

• What are your plans for brewing wastewater discharge and management?
• Will you separate the spent yeast or brew mash beforehand, or will you mix it in with liquid waste before you discharge it?
• Which types of cleaners will you use for your brewing equipment?
• What are the BOD, TSS, phosphorus, and ammonia levels you anticipate having in your wastewater?
• Will you only be brewing beer at your brewery, or will you also have a taphouse or bar on site? If so, will you also cook and serve food on site?

Small Brewery Wastewater Treatment Systems

While small- and medium-sized breweries generally produce less wastewater than national or regional brands, it can be helpful to notify F&V of your anticipated wastewater load. That way, we can help you develop an appropriate wastewater treatment plan for your business and help you stay compliant with local regulations.

Microbrewery Wastewater Treatment Systems

Microbreweries typically produce no more than 15,000 barrels of product per year. With that, they have a different set of needs than larger breweries. We can help microbreweries determine their water treatment needs, especially as they continue to grow and thrive within their communities.

F&V’s Brewery Wastewater Treatment Systems

F&V can assist both breweries and municipalities with managing brewery wastewater. We can conduct industrial user surveys, baseline monitoring, IPP permits, and a maximum allowable headworks loading (MAHL) study to determine whether you can handle new or expanded discharges. We also have expertise in setting up on-site brewery wastewater discharges, including design, construction, and operation of pretreatment processes.

Screening and Settling Solid Wastes

This form of physical treatment goes a long way in reducing a brewery’s wastewater load. We can help you install filters and screens to separate spent grain, mash, or yeast from your liquid discharge to reduce the impacts on your collection system.

Biochemical Treatment

Your brewery or wastewater treatment plant may need biochemical pollutant reduction before it’s introduced to surface waters or municipal sewer systems.

Biochemical processes use microorganisms to break down organic matter in the wastewater. For example, traditional oxidation treatment processes include products like activated sludge, sequencing batch reactors, or membrane bioreactors.

However, if your brewery requires less energy-intensive treatment, you can also use anaerobic digestion for certain types of wastewater.

Reach Out to Us About Our Brewery Wastewater Treatment Services

At F&V, we employ a wide range of experienced, cross-functional engineers and wastewater operations specialists so you can save money in the long run with your brewery’s wastewater management plan. We’ll be your advocate for reclaiming your water and protecting your community. Connect with us today to see how we can help you handle the flow of wastewater to your brewery.