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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.

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The use of chlorine in sewage water treatment has been in existence for a long time now. But the fact remains, even though chlorine has been in use, it needs to be adopted very carefully, as it is toxic in nature. Chlorine either in gaseous or liquid form can be used for the disinfection of sewage water treatment. Disinfection of wastewater is very essential for all living organisms on the planet.

The main function of chlorine, when used in sewage water treatment is to make it free of pathogenic microorganisms. In the process, chlorination shouldn’t leave any compounds, which is harmful to human health. Chlorine residue is not harmful in drinking water, whereas in sewage water treatment it may adversely affect wildlife, when disposed to the natural sources of water.

Chlorine inactivates the virus and bacteria found in the sewage. It is also able to degrade and oxidize soluble impurities, such as pharmaceutical or agricultural compounds. But along with these, there are some more advantages of using chlorine for sewage water treatment and they are as follows:

  • Prevents foul odour through the air scrubbing process
  • Destroys cyanides and phenols
  • Controls the activated sludge bulking in sewage water
  • Removes the ammonia from the sewage water
  • Stabilizes the waste activated sludge, before the wastewater is discharged
  • Helps in eliminating scum and grease from the sewage water
  • Mitigates odours and helps in keeping the septicity in check
  • Controls foaming and filter flies
  • Disinfects the black and grey water

Grey water is the wastewater from the wash basins, washing machines, bathing etc., while black water is the sewage water from toilets and so both these waste waters need to be treated, before being discharged into the main reservoirs. This is as far as homes are concerned, but it is every factory owner’s responsibility also to ensure that the water disposed to the mains is suitable for humans, aquatic life, birds, and all other creatures.

Some of the major industries, which need to have sewage water treatment and chlorinate in it are:

  • Wineries
  • Mining
  • Oil and Gas
  • Power Plants
  • Food Processing
  • Iron and Steel Production

In short, we can conclude that all chemical manufacturing units give out an enormous amount of waste water and it’s treatment and chlorination should be given high priority. As, if not done properly, can adversely affect humans and other living organisms.

So, if you are looking for a reliable sewage water treatment company, who’ll take care of every aspect of your wastewater treatment process, then By Jas Engineering is a great choice, wherever you’re based in Australia. Visit us at Byjas or call us on (03) 5979 1096 for more information.

We have been in the industry for 35 years and are family owned. We have the experience in various industries and have successfully completed many large commercial projects since our inception. You can go through the projects and reviews published on our website for more information.

We service across Australia, regional town centres, remote regional areas, and main capital cities.

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Waste Water Treatment for Wineries
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Australia is one of the most famous wine-producing countries in the world and is home to more than 2,400 wineries. Australian wine is so loved around the world that over 30 million glasses of Australian wine are drunk each day!

In order to produce the wine that millions of people all over the world love, these wineries use irrigation systems to ensure that the grapes can grow ripe and ready in time, especially in drought-prone countries. However, many may not be using the most efficient irrigation system. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the ways that wineries can make their irrigation systems more efficient, in order to save money and help the planet.

Ensure the irrigation system suits your needs

The first step to ensuring that your winery irrigation system is efficient is to be sure that the system properly suits your needs. Take into account your production goals, specific land properties (soil characteristics, plant variety and natural water availability) and consult with a professional agronomist who will tell you the requirements that your land needs.

By ensuring that your irrigation system meets your vineyard’s specific requirements, you’re less likely to waste water.

Practice RDI

RDI, or regulated deficit irrigation, is an irrigation practice where the amount of applied water is regulated to below the full level for optimal vine growth. Not only can this help to increase water efficiency by 30%, but it can also lead to a higher quality of grapes. The lack of irrigated water to the plant forces it to look for other sources of water, which causes their shoots and roots to grow while they search. This shoot growth can improve grape quality.

Maximise green water use

In order to reduce the amount of winery wastewater, irrigation systems can be made more environmentally friendly and efficient by using green water (or water that is sourced from natural sources, such as rain and snowfall). Wineries can store rain and snowfall in tanks and use this to irrigate the plants. They should also ensure that they reduce water evaporation, leaching and runoff.

Keep recording your irrigation

One of the most important things you can do to ensure that your irrigation system is as efficient as it can be is to regularly measure soil moisture and evapotranspiration and make any necessary changes. For example, by adding mulch to the soil, you can improve the availability of water for the soil.

How to create an efficient irrigation system

If you own one of the 2,400 wineries in Australia, you could be losing around $2.4–3.4 million as a result of wastewater. In order to save money and reduce your impact on the environment, make sure that you talk to the experts about improving the efficiency of your irrigation system.

At ByJas, we have the expertise to help you create a sustainable water system with stabilised wastewater treatment equipment. Contact us to learn more about our services. We have been in the industry for 35 years and are family-owned. We support clients across Australia in regional town centres, remote regional areas and main capital cities. Visit us at Byjas or call us on (03) 5979 1096 to learn more.

What you can read next

Waste Water Treatment for Wineries
Specialising in the Winery Industry
How Wineries Can Make Their Irrigation Systems More Efficient
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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.