Background
Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI) is a dairy cooperative that encompasses more than 2,000 farm families and 1,200 employees. The cooperative owns and operates multiple dairy product facilities throughout the Midwest, including their facility in Jim Falls, WI.
Primarily producing pepper jack cheese, the Jim Falls facility had traditionally treated their process wastewater with a ridge and furrow land treatment system. The wastewater was treated through biodegradation by soil and vegetation organisms.
Challenge
As production increased at the Jim Falls facility, so did the amount of wastewater produced, including high-strength wastewater (HSW). While the ridge and furrow (R&F) system had initially been able to effectively treat the wastewater from the facility, it was proving inadequate for the increased flow and loading. Even after the facility began to divert HSW and haul it offsite for disposal, the R&F was not able to accommodate the plant’s requirements. A long-term solution to effectively treat the facility’s process wastewater was needed.
Among other needs, facility stakeholders were interested in finding a solution that would include reduced water usage and water reuse opportunities. Additionally, they were hopeful that the new treatment system would utilize land already owned by the cooperative.
Solution
AMPI reached out to multiple engineering firms for a solution to their wastewater needs. The Probst Group was able to offer an integrated, complete solution for wastewater management, while still providing a phased design approach. Multiple options were evaluated during each phase of the project, including final discharge locations, backup systems, the possibility of biogas reuse, Focus on Energy funding, unique fire suppression systems, and effluent reuse. Probst’s expertise in permitting, design, and operations each brought unique viewpoints to the overall project.
Constructing a new wastewater treatment plant allows the facility to fully treat all of the wastewater from their production processes. Located approximately two miles from the production facility, the new WWTP is situated in a cell of the existing ridge and furrow system. Reconfiguring the cell allowed the new treatment plant to not only be built on land already owned by AMPI, but also allowed that space to be reused.
Featuring both aerobic and anaerobic treatment, the new WWTP provides complete treatment, effectively treating both the high-strength and normal-strength wastewater to achieve stringent discharge limits. The design includes:
- Anaerobic MBR pretreatment for high-strength wastewater
- Aerobic activated sludge treatment with enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR)
- Sand filtration to polish treated wastewater
To provide cost and time savings, Probst compiled an integrated project team, including Faith Technologies and Staab Construction.
The Probst Group
COMPLETE PROJECT MANAGEMENT
The Probst Group offered a phased design/build approach that included:
- Preliminary consultation and design
- Final design and drawings
- Construction oversight and management
- Start-up and commissioning services
- Budget tracking and equipment procurement
Faith Technologies
ELECTRICAL INSTALL/CONTROLS DESIGN & INSTALL
Faith provided the electrical installation and controls programming for the new WWTP which included the following:
- All electrical installation
- Design and programming for PLC/controls
- Innovative mobile access solutions
- Future data analysis functionality
Staab Construction
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Working onsite, Staab was responsible for all general and mechanical installation which included:
- Site excavation and concrete work
- Building erection
- Plumbing and HVAC
- Process piping and equipment installation
Outfitted with a state-of-the-art fire suppression system and water reuse technologies, the new wastewater treatment plant effectively treats all process wastewater generated from the production facility.
Results
The team utilized value engineering to provide an innovate design/build solution that enabled Probst to deliver significant cost savings for the client while deploying advanced technologies throughout the facility. Outfitted with a complete wastewater treatment system that includes anaerobic MBR pretreatment, EBPR, tertiary polishing, and advanced controls features, the new WWTP is effectively treating the process wastewater and providing exceptional results.