Dairy cuts its water waste

ELGA Process Water is helping Robert Wiseman Dairies towards its target of reducing by 25% water use across its network of dairies by 2015. The Bridgwater site produces about 400m3/day of process wastewater which used to be treated and discharged to the local rhyne.

Now, 200m3/day of that wastewater is recovered by reverse osmosis and recycled.

ELGA Process Water's MegaRO reverse osmosis technology uses a membrane to remove 99% of residual COD, dissolved salts and bacteria from the treated wastewater, producing water of quality at least equal to the mains supply.MegaRO's low pressure membranes and high efficiency pumps make it one of the most energy efficient plants available.

Project manager Eleanor Walton says that because the operating cost of the MegaRO is low, the recovered water costs less than mains water even after including capital amortisation. Payback is expected in 2.5 year.s