14 Application

Filtration+Separation January/February 2020

Water & wastewater

Beer benefits from

aerator treatment
rewery wastewater can have an impact on the
B environment if not treated properly, putting many
ecosystems at risk. Here’s how one US beer producer
deployed Tsurumi aerators to treat and recycle its
wastewater to minimize the ecological impact.

Russian River Brewing Company in face many challenges, and must comply plants that are assembled on-site with
downtown Santa Rosa, California, USA with stringent wastewater discharge relatively small footprints,” Scott said.
is best known for its IPA beer, Pliny the regulations. “The systems reduce both total
Elder. The company began in 1997 at suspended solids (TSS) and
its Santa Rosa location and has since Ecosystems at risk biochemical oxygen demand (BOD).
opened a new brewery and tasting Breweries average three gallons of These plants typically are activated
facility in nearby Windsor. The brewery wastewater for every gallon of beer sludge processes followed by
has won many awards including the produced. The brewing process contains microfiltration. Proper equalization must
Great American Beer Festival and World alcohol, sugars and proteins that are a have both complete mix and some
Beer Cup. However, the process goes far byproduct within the wastewater, which aeration to prevent the water from
beyond creating quality beer. Brewers greatly increases the biochemical oxygen becoming septic.”
demand. This means the effluent must
be pretreated before entering the waste
stream. In fact, brewery wastewater can
have a consequential impact on the
environment if not treated properly,
putting many ecosystems at risk.

Upon opening its new facility in Windsor,

California, Russian River Brewing knew it
needed to have a new process designed
for pretreating its wastewater. These
systems require equalization and sludge
holding tanks. Vinnie Cilurzo, owner and
brewer at Russian River Brewery, was
introduced to Tsurumi’s California sales
representative for process equipment,
Scott & Associates. Gary Scott worked
with an original equipment manufacturer
of the packaged treatment systems to
size Tsurumi mixers/aerators for
both the equalization and sludge
holding tanks.
The TRN submersible aerators were installed in late Tsurumi’s TRN submersible aerators have been
2018. The installation of the free-standing BER/TRN “The general trend for breweries is to designed for easy installation and simple
aerator is easy and economical. purchase packaged/modular treatment maintenance.

www.filtsep.com
 Application 15
Filtration+Separation January/February 2020

The TRN provides the added benefit of achieving mixing/aeration at great depths.

No need for blowers with an added bonus of reducing cost. increasing flows of the clean, treated
Scott added, “Too much aeration in Rather than draining the treated effluent water to sensitive ecosystems.
the equalization tank can trigger the to return to the town of Windsor, it
biological process, which is undesirable. is filtered through high-temperature Great value
Sludge holding tanks also need mixing treatment and reused in the brewery Tsurumi’s TRN submersible aerators are
and aeration. Historically, this has been for internal cleaning of the machinery. of great value, easy to install and simple
accomplished by traditional fixed grid Treated, recycled water from the town to maintain. The self-aspirating units
diffuser systems with external noisy of Windsor is also used for landscape are efficient, as most of the mechanical
blowers. We can replace traditional irrigation at the facility. energy from the motor is converted
positive pressure systems with the BER into water turbulence. Tsurumi provides
and TRN models of Tsurumi aerators, In addition to the current practices, a huge benefit to smaller wastewater
which, in most cases, self-aspirate the brewery plans to expand its use treatment and industrial wastewater
and eliminate the need for expensive of treated wastewater over time. In facilities with tighter budgets, enabling
blowers. The them to take control of
installation of the their own wastewater.
free-standing BER/ “Tsurumi provides a huge benefit to
TRN aerator is easier
to install and more
smaller wastewater treatment and Compared to other
submersible aerators
economical. They industrial wastewater facilities with on the market, the
are also available on TRN offers features
guide rail systems tighter budgets, enabling them to take such as patented oil
for long rectangular seal technology with
shaped tanks.”
control of their own wastewater.” an extra-large oil
chamber, potted
The TRN submersible aerators were anticipation of a regulation change, cable entry and a dynamic air barrier seal
installed in late 2018 and have been plumbing has been done to the principle, which ensures that the double
running successfully ever since. “The toilets so that non-potable water mechanical seal never comes in contact
two Tsurumi aerators are working great,” is used in the restrooms. When this with the water during operation. Not to
Cilurzo said. “They have a great design becomes legal, the brewery will add mention, the wet end modularity
and we haven’t had to do any service to a valve to use the recycled water in allows for easy maintenance compared
them.” the toilets and urinals. The recycling to the one-piece design of the
of treated effluent provides many competitions’ aerators. Lastly, the TRN
Cilurzo is taking a conservation- environmental benefits such as provides the added benefit of
minded approach in the disposal of enhancing wetlands, decreasing achieving mixing/aeration at great
the wastewater at the new Windsor
facility. He sees the treated effluent
wastewater discharges to the
municipal wastewater treatment
depths.
•
as an opportunity to save resources, plant, preventing pollution and www.tsurumipump.com

www.filtsep.com