Advancing Water Reuse in Potato Manufacturing

THE SITUATION

A leading Canadian Potato Manufacturer made a $450M investment to double the capacity of its potato processing plant in Western Canada. A crucial part of this expansion is the development of a new Wastewater Reuse Treatment Plant to process wastewater into high-quality reuse water for the facility. Traditional treatment methods are insufficient for the high organic loads, jeopardizing water reuse for potato washing. The manufacturer needs a robust, scalable solution to avoid operational disruptions, rising costs, and to ensure regulatory requirements are met.

THE SOLUTION

To meet these demands, the manufacturer partnered with Newterra to implement a sophisticated, multi-stage wastewater reuse system. This system, designed for a 1.58 million gallon per day capacity, integrates:

• Membrane Bioreactor (MBR): For efficient removal of organics and solids.
• Granular Activated Carbon (GAC): To further refine water quality.
• Reverse Osmosis (RO): To eliminate salts and trace constituents.

This integrated approach ensures over 97.5% wastewater recovery for facility reuse and significantly reducing freshwater demand.

THE BENEFITS OF THIS PARTNERSHIP

By investing in this advanced reuse technology, the manufacturer:

• Secures sustainable expansion, minimizing environmental impact.
• Achieves substantial cost savings by reducing freshwater consumption.
• Ensures compliance with evolving environmental regulations.
• Establishes a new benchmark for water sustainability in the food and beverage industry.
• Operates one of the largest food and beverage water reuse systems in North America.

This project transforms a potential obstacle into a strategic advantage, enabling the client to lead in both production capacity and environmental responsibility.