Meeting municipal discharge requirements for brewery

The Challenge

Brewing beer is extremely water intensive. In many cases, wastewater from these facilities requires on-site pretreatment prior to discharging to the municipal wastewater treatment system. In 1995, Redhook contacted Veolia Water Technologies to identify the best technology to treat the wastewater from their new brewery under  construction in Portsmouth New Hampshire. The expanding craft brewer needed an easy to operate wastewater pretreatment plant that would ensure that they would meet the City of Portsmouth’s discharge requirements.

The Solution

Before designing the new treatment plant, Veolia performed a comprehensive characterization study of the wastewater at Redhook’s existing Seattle brewery. After analyzing the amount of COD, BOD, and TSS within the waste stream, the Biothane Biobed® EGSB (Expanded Granular Sludge Bed) system was selected for Redhook’s new facility.

The Biobed EGSB technology was selected based on its ability to handle high loading rates without compromising treatment efficiency. This would help ensure that Redhook would meet its municipal discharge requirements and prevent unexpected sewer surcharge costs. The system was also designed to incorporate an additional Biobed reactor, if Redhook’s needed to expand its wastewater treatment capacity.

To expedite the project’s schedule, the Biothane® EGSB package plant was assembled prior to arriving at the brewery site. This significantly reduced the field installation phase and expedited the entire project schedule.

The Results

The Biobed EGSB system was completed and commissioned in 1996. Since commissioning, the system has been treating Redhook’s wastewater and producing an effluent that consistently meets the municipality’s discharge requirements.

Redhook’s Portsmouth location continued to experience production growth since it first opened. To support this growth, the site needed to expand the capacity of the original Biothane wastewater treatment system. The performance and reliability of the initial Biothane system prompted Redhook to engage Veolia to install a “twin” Biobed EGSB reactor in 2009 to meet the increased flow and loading rates at the brewery. The reactors operate in parallel and have an average soluble COD removal rate of 92%, allowing Redhoook to continue to meet the required effluent quality.

According to Redhook, Veolia provided a “robust system which enabled Redhook Brewery to manage their system in a safe, economical way.” In addition to treating the brewery’s wastewater, the system produces methane as a by-product. Redhook uses this biogas in an onsite generator to create green energy, reducing Redhook’s environmental footprint and energy costs.