Water Engineering in the Food Processing Industry

The food processing industry is one of the largest users of water. Purchasing, pumping, treating and disposing of water is a major cost to the industry. Hygiene is a major consideration to any company involved in the production and processing of food, but potable water is not necessary in many processes.

Alternative sources, recycling and re-use of water may often be viable alternatives. Most water supply is taken from the mains, (and even potable water may occasionally require further treatment before it can be used for a particular process) but alternatives are available, from boreholes, re-used water and surface sources. This may require treatment before use, but can be substantially cheaper than mains water.

For each stage of the process, from transport, peeling, cooking and washing down to cooling and hosing down the yard, the necessary quality of water can be identified and any scope for re-use defined.

A typical pump will cost more to run each year than it cost to buy and install. Water is pumped, often many times, during processing. Most pumps are inefficient, and cost more to run than they should. Optimisation of pumping systems includes pumping the right quantity, down a pipe of the right size, with the pump operating at the peak efficiency point and optimum power factor. This seldom occurs in practice, and large cost savings are available.

Effluent Disposal
Most effluent from food processing is discharged to the public sewer. This may be the most suitable means of disposal, but it is seldom the cheapest. The Sewerage Undertaker will charge for the disposal of effluent on the basis of Volume, Biological Oxygen Demand, Suspended Solids and Treatability. All of these can be changed by modifications to the process or by treatment before discharge.

The extent of pre-treatment will depend on the cost benefit of reducing disposal charges, or possibly by the acceptability of the untreated effluent to the public sewerage system. The effluent can be treated to a standard suitable for discharge to watercourses, which will be necessary if no public sewer is available.

The effluent can also be treated to a standard suitable for other uses within the process. The choice, as always, will come down to cost.

Waste.
A great deal of water is wasted, through leakage, leaking valves, using more than necessary for the process and by not reusing water where it is safe and economical. The purpose of a food processing factory is to process food, not to worry about water, but potential profit is going down the drain!

Electricity is being wasted. A 15 kW pump will cost at least £100 per week to run 24 hours a day and almost every pump in industry could be more efficient. Potentially valuable product may end up in the effluent stream, turning an asset into a liability.

Recovery of heat from hot process water before discharge can have a major effect on running costs.

Legislation
Breaches of discharge consents or pollution of the environment, even inadvertently, can lead to prosecution and heavy fines.

Fenland Hydrotech Services

We will

Analyse water usage within your factory Examine your charges for water use Examine your pumping systems Identify alternative sources of water Identify potential for re-use of water Identify water losses · Identify energy losses Optimise effluent treatment standards Apply for approvals Design pipework, pump and treatment system installations Prepare contract documents Supervise construction Manage your complete project SAVE YOU MONEY

Most savings can be made with relatively low investment and rapid pay-back periods. Major investment would only be recommended if there was a clear cost benefit, an improvement to the product or to ensure compliance. Water and Energy Conservation Projects should cost less than they save.