Pre-Treatment Plant for Victorian Dairy Manufacturer
Victoria, Australia
Pre-Treatment Plant for Victorian Dairy Manufacturer
Victoria, Australia
Client
Victorian Dairy Manufacturer
Plant Capacity
7MLD
Technology
Clarification, Chemical Dosing, Service
Water Source
Surface Water
Quality Issue
High Turbidity, Suspended Solids, Colloidal Matter
Customer Need
Managing Shifts in Process Water Quality
Facing an unexpected rain event, a Victorian dairy manufacturer in Australia encountered significant challenges with their water treatment plant. The shallow surface water catchment source deteriorated, leading to high colloidal solids in the raw water.
This caused irreversible membrane fouling and blockages. The dairy needed a solution to reduce solids loading without using polymers, which could worsen fouling issues with the PVDF membrane. Consequently, a pre-treatment plant was required to alleviate the load on the main water treatment facility.
What We Did
Designed and Built a New Pre-Treatment Plant
FILTEC acted swiftly to find a robust and reliable solution. Our team designed and built pretreatment plant to remove the additional load on the water treatment plant.
A proprietary lamella clarifier with the patented Ecoflow lamella plate was installed, providing a very high rise-rate and compact design. It also allowed for a >90% reduction of suspended solids using only the existing chemicals on site, with no requirement for a flocculant aid.
Provided Efficient Pre-Treatment Optimisation
The lamella clarification system provided not only ensured effective removal of suspended solids but also offered benefits of compact design, low chemical consumption, and easy maintenance. This solution optimised the pre-treatment process, enhancing the efficiency of downstream membrane filtration and ensuring consistent water quality for dairy production.
Supplied Chemical Dosing and Control Equipment
FILTEC provided chemical dosing and control equipment to support the pre-treatment plant and ensure high-purity water. This included precise dosing systems and automated controls, guaranteeing optimal chemical treatment while minimising wastage and operational costs.
The Result
Enhanced Treatment Capacity and Water Purity
In under 12 months, the project transformed into a fully operational pre-treatment plant, seamlessly integrated with the existing water treatment facility and maintaining uninterrupted operations. Originally tailored to treat turbidity levels of up to 50 NTU in river water, the upgraded system now handles 25 to 50 times more volume, ensuring uninterrupted access to high-quality process water for the dairy.
FILTEC remains committed to servicing and maintaining the dairy’s water treatment setup, ensuring peak performance and reliability. This ongoing support guarantees the pre-treatment plant’s efficiency, minimising downtime and maximising productivity for the dairy manufacturer while effectively removing solids loading.
