How does winery wastewater treatment work?

Wineries are invaluable for producing wine in large quantities, but the crushing process behind this can lead to a lot of wastewater – up to 32 litres of it per litre of wine! This is partly due to natural spillages but is also due to the wineries using water to sanitise and clean the press or even the grapes themselves. With that in mind, if you work in a winery, you should know exactly how to treat wastewater that builds up with each use of the press. Here is a guide to the treatment process.

1. Reducing the wastewater content

Less wastewater means less treatment, making it a cleaner procedure for all. For this reason, you should implement various techniques to minimise waste generation during the winemaking process. This might be as simple as being more careful to prevent unnecessary spillages or cleaning in more efficient ways; dry cleaning processes can go a long way towards reducing water use, as can high-pressure cleaning if this is not possible.

2. Analysing the wastewater effluents

The next step to treating winery wastewater is for a treatment company to inspect its components. Despite the name, the wastewater won’t be 100% water – it will also contain plenty of effluents that have ethanol, sugars, and even solid concentrations. The composition can vary depending on the season and the particulars of the winemaking operation; nonetheless, wastewater won’t be readily disposable without prior treatment.

3. Separating the solids

The treatment company will begin the treatment process properly by removing the solids within, if applicable. These solids could be big enough to affect the rest of the process if you do not deal with them first – you can remove up to 40% of the organic matter in the wastewater through this step alone, and decantation will take care of them afterwards. In this step, the company also changes the pH of the wastewater to release the neutral effluent into the sewer system when appropriate.

4. Secondary treatment

Afterwards, the wastewater still needs additional treatment to remove all of the dissolved organic matter; the method for this can vary based upon a litany of factors. Regardless, you’ll need a treatment system, one which works for the minutiae of the wine operation – the aerators, for example, must be able to handle variations in pH, flow, temperature, and more. This particular component will provide oxygen to the bacteria that perform the aerobic biodegradation of the different substances, making it invaluable for the treatment process.

You cannot underestimate the importance of winery wastewater treatment; with the right approach, you can recycle it for better use or reduce your water use in the first place. By Jas specialises in sewage and wastewater treatment; visit us atByjas or call us on (03) 5979 1096.

We have been working in the industry for 35 years and are proudly family-owned. We use this experience and dedication to provide our service across Australia, including regional town centres, remote regional areas, and main capital cities. Contact us today for a free quote on our services.

What you can read next

Waste water treatment for Wineries
Specialising in the Winery Industry
Irrigation efficiency for Wineries
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From waste to water: understanding the sewage treatment process

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How do Wastewater Aerators Work?

If you’re wondering how wastewater aerators work, you’re not alone. Many people don’t know much about aerators or the role they play in sewage treatment. This blog post will discuss how aerators work, and why they are such a vital part of the sewage treatment process.

What are aerators?

Aerators are devices that introduce air into wastewater, so wastewater aeration is a process of using aerators to mix air and water. This process provides dissolved oxygen to the water, helping to remove odours from the water, and to break down organic matter. This process is vital because it helps to remove harmful bacteria and other contaminants. Aerators come in many shapes and sizes, but all operate with the same aim.

Why do we need aerators?

Since nutrient-rich wastewater significantly impacts the relationship between living things and their surroundings, governments enforce regulations to control the number of contaminants in wastewater discharge. These rules stipulate that all liquid waste producers, whether residential, agricultural, commercial or industrial, must treat wastewater.

Types of aerators

There are two types of aerators: surface aerators and submerged aerators. Surface aerators float on the water’s surface and use paddles or propellers to create turbulence and mixing. Submerged aerators are placed below the water’s surface and use diffusers, impellers, or propellers to create bubbles that rise through the water and help aerate it.

Surface aerators have, over time, been the subject of intensive development, with their primary application being in the treatment of wastewater through activated sludge. The primary factor in the design of these devices is naturally their ability to transfer oxygen to water efficiently. A surface aerator creates a large surface area between air and liquid to facilitate oxygen diffusion.

Types of surface aerators

There are two main types of surface aerators: diffused aeration and mechanical aeration. Diffused aeration works by bubbling air through a diffuser, breaking the bubbles into tiny droplets. This process adds a lot of oxygen to the water and is very efficient. On the other hand, mechanical aeration uses paddles or impellers to mix the air and water. This type of aeration is less efficient than diffused aeration, but it is still an important part of the sewage treatment process.

When implementing diffused aeration, more oxygen is added to the water, which helps break down the organic matter present in it. This process can also eliminate harmful bacteria and other contaminants from the water, making it safe for human use. Wastewater aerators are a vital part of the sewage treatment process.

Trust the experts

By Jas specialises in sewage and wastewater treatment. Visit us at www.byjas.com.or call us on (03) 5979 1096. We have been in the industry for 35 years and are family-owned.

We service across Australia, regional town centres, remote regional areas, and main capital cities. If you want to learn more about aerators or surface aeration, please contact us and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

What you can read next

Waste water treatment for Wineries
Specialising in the Winery Industry
Irrigation efficiency for Wineries
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Wednesday 21 September

We’ve got great news from our Incident Management Team – the Shepparton Wastewater Management Facility has returned to normal winter operating levels, and odour is no longer being released from the aerated lagoons.

With that, its been recommended to close out the IMT this week and we’ll be working on some wider communications materials to inform the community about our progress and success in returning the plant to normal.

We’re seeing a continuing downward trend in the levels of organic load leaving the High Rate Anerobic Lagoon, which is the primary treatment lagoon at the facility. It’s returning to levels we normally see in winter, close to 100mg/L, which we’re really happy with, and shows the lagoon’s treatment performance has stabilised and is working well. We’re also seeing temperatures begin to increase in the lagoon, and continuing warmer weather will create more optimal treatment conditions.

You can see the trends in the 14-day average graph below. Under optimal treatment processes, the gap between the orange and blue lines should be as large as possible.

We’ve also seen more key areas in our key performance indicators turn green over the past two weeks. There are still a few yellow ones, but we’re confident they’re very close to turning green in the near future as well.

These indicators show key data we’re looking at during wastewater sampling in the main treatment lagoons, including pH levels, alkalinity levels, VFAs (volatile fatty acids), the VFA to alkalinity ratio, as well as dissolved oxygen and organic loading – all are important in ensuring the wastewater treatment process works as best it can.