Brewery and winery wastewater treatment: some focal points of design and operation

Abstract

Environmental issues are a critical factor for the today industry competitiveness. Indeed, the society and the individual consumers could set a common framework for companies’ commitment and engagement regarding environment protection. Redesign the process, recover by-products or reuse effluents are some of the possible actions towards an eco-efficient strategy. Nevertheless, a point remains crucial in such mission: the ability to defend natural ecosystems from polluted wastewaters. For such purpose, a wastewater treatment plant that maximizes removal efficiency and minimizes investment and operation costs is a key factor. Brewery and winery are traditional industries with an important economic value in the agro-food sector. In 2003, the total beer production in the European Union (18 countries) was 344 x 105 m3, being recorded around 1800 breweries with 110 thousand employees. If Norway, Switzerland and Turkey are also included, those numbers rise up to 358 x 105 m3, 1839 units and 117 thousand, respectively. The excise revenue from beer industry in all these countries reaches over 8800 x 106 € (The Brewers of Europe, 2004). The worldwide wine production is 261 x 105 m3 (data from 2002), of which 69 % from Europe, 18 % from America, 5 % from Asia, 4 % from Africa and 4 % from Oceania. The worldwide wine consumption (2002) is 228 x 105 m3, distributed by Europe (68 %), America (20 %), Asia (7 %), Africa (3 %) and Oceania (2 %) (OIV, 2002). This chapter intends to present some key points on design and operation in wastewater treatment of brewery and winery industries. Therefore, an introduction of the industrial processes is first presented and then wastewater characteristics and treatment processes are discussed. Finally, the experience of a collaborative effort between University of Minho and two industrial companies, Unicer SA and ACPB (Adega Cooperativa de Ponte da Barca) is presented in order to address some practical problems of wastewater systems design and operation. Unicer SA and ACPB are very important players in their field of activity: Unicer has the major share of the beer market in Portugal and ACPB is a very well known producer of wine with appellation of origin Vinho Verde.