Page 13 - Food&Drink magazine July 2021

COVER STORY
LEFT: A reverse osmosis plant and risk management plan could be all that is required to convert a wastewater treatment plant to an advanced water treatment plant.
The second stage involves membrane filtration and disinfection, which are water treatment processes that engineers and operators working in food and beverage manufacturing understand.
The final stage of an AWTP is product validation, which is not a treatment process as such, but is an integral and important aspect of the AWTP’s risk management system.
Although an AWTP utilises a series of conventional wastewater and water treatment technologies, one of the keys to its success in establishing a suitable and acceptable risk management plan is the implementation of a multi-barrier approach.
As the name suggests, a multi-barrier approach is a system whereby even in the event of failure of one or more process elements, the product water will remain suited for its intended purpose.
The ultimate design of the AWTP is based on a combination of scientific and engineering principals along with comprehensive risk management plan requirements.
All food and beverage businesses will have conducted multiple water reduction reviews and applied several water saving measures by now. Many businesses will have implemented some degree of non-potable water recycling into those programs and many will already operate their low grade water recycling plant under a risk-based management system. However, the number of businesses that have taken the additional steps to generate full potable water from wastewater are few and far between.
The processes required to embark on an AWTP project are not insignificant. The risk management plan will require input from all stakeholders and regulators, and considerable time will be necessary from management and engineering through concept to execution, a process that can take several years.Sowhenistherighttime to consider the employment of Advanced Water Treatment?
IT’S TIME
Most businesses are continuing to invest in the design and implementation of sustainability strategies and
programs and they have probably already made significant steps into reducing their carbon footprint. These actions are essential, welcomed by all, and will make the future less bad. However, businesses need to have adaptation plans for climate variability.
There is no doubt that in the future, many parts of Australia will again be impacted by drought. History confirms this, and science and trends suggest the frequency and severity only will get worse.
Converting wastewater back to a potable grade will notably reduce the impact the next drought will have on any business that administers an advanced water recycling program, and will reduce the impact of the drought on others including the local catchment andcommunity. ✷
✷ ABOUTTHEAUTHOR
✷ THE DRIEST LAND STREAMFLOW
FALLING SINCE ’75
Australia is the driest inhabited continent on the planet, with 70 per cent of the country arid (average rainfall < 250mm/year) or semi-arid (average rainfall 250-350mm/year) land. As a drought-prone country, Australia has experienced several severe prolonged drought events over the centuries.
These include the Settlement Drought (1790-1793); Sturt’s Drought (1809-1830); Goyder Line Drought (1861-1866); Federation Drought (1895-1903); World War 2 Drought (1939 – 1945); and the Millennium Drought (1997-2009). Each of these drought events dealt a crushing blow to the agricultural sector, as well as the food and beverage industry.
According to the State of Climate Report, there has been a decrease in streamflow at the majority of streams or rivers monitored across southern Australia since 1975.
Several Australian towns and even capital cities have nearly run out of water during extended dry spells. And as the climate gets hotter and drier and populations continue to grow, it is highly likely that some of these business hubs will run dry and face day zero in future if we don’t act now.
LEFT: Extreme weather events in Australia are becoming more frequent and adapting to climate variability is essential for business survival.
Andrew Miley is a director
of Hydroflux and has
been instrumental in the
development and execution
of advanced water
treatment programs for many food and beverage businesses across Australia.
www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au | July 2021 | Food&Drink business | 13