Project Number
CSUR13091742538
Project title
In situ testing of sustainable integrated systems for the treatment of winery wastewater at small wineries in the Western Cape
Project leader
Welz, P J
Institution
Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) Institute of Biomedical and Microbial Biotechnology
Team members
Haldenwang, R
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Objectives and Rationale
Most small-scale wineries cannot install, operate and monitor sophisticated wastewater treatment systems because they do not have the required skilled labour or finances to do so. There is a need to find a simple, cost effective winery wastewater (WWW) treatment system for small wineries within South Africa. Results of more than a decade of laboratory-based research, and the outcome of a small pilot study indicated that biological sand filters (BSFs) were promising candidates. The main objective of this project was to integrate this knowledge to design and operate a pilot system at a local winery as the last stage in determining the suitability of such systems for WWW treatment in the ‘real world’.
Methods
An on-site pilot BSF system was designed, installed and operated at a winery in Stellenbosch. Two identical sand bioreactors were operated interchangeably in batch and continuous mode of operation. Influent and effluent physicochemical parameters were monitored over a period of two years.
Key Results
The BSF system was able to successfully neutralise acidic WWW, reduce the SAR to 2.53 and reduce the chemical oxygen demand of the influent by an average of 70±21% (SD), range: 17-96%. After the start up period, the filters were able to treat an average of 358 L.day-1 (range 0 to 3854 L.day-1). The systems were able to adapt to shifts in WWW composition and volumetric loading.
Key Conclusion of Discussion
The BSF system was able to consistently reduce the organic content, the SAR and neutralise WWW.
Take Home message for Industry
Biological sand filtration systems are viable, relatively low maintenance systems with a simple operational infrastructure and small spatial footprint when compared with other passive treatment systems such as constructed wetlands. They have the ability to adapt to varying WWW strengths via self-regulation and reduce the potential negative effects of WWW on the receiving environment. The treatment capacity can be increased by adding filter modules with minimal addition of auxiliary infrastructure.
Articles
Welz, P J, Ramond, J-B, Cowan, D A, Prins, A, Burton, S G. 2011. Ethanol degradation and the value of incremental priming in pilot scale constructed wetlands, Ecological Engineering, Mnth October v. 37 (10) (p. 1453-1459)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2011.03.009
Ramond, J-B, Welz, P J, Cowan, D A, Burton, S G. 2012. Microbial community structure stability, a key parameter in monitoring the development of constructed wetland mesocosms during start-up, Research in Microbiology, Mnth January v. 163 (1) (p. 28-35)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0923250811001707
Rodriquez Caballero, A, Ramond, J-B, Welz, P J, Cowan, D A, Odlare, M, Burton, S G. 2012. Treatment of high ethanol concentration wastewater by constructed wetlands: enhanced COD removal and bacterial community dynamics, Journal of Environmental Management, Mnth October v. 109 (p. 54-60)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2012.05.005
Welz, P J, Ramond, J-B, Cowan, D A, Burton, S G. 2012. Phenolic removal processes in biological sand filters used to remediate winery wastewater, Bioresource Technology, Mnth September v. 119 (p. 262-269)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2012.04.087
Ramond, J-B, Welz, P J, Tuffin, M, Burton, S G, Cowan, D A. 2013. Assessment of temporal and spatial evolution of bacterial communities in a biological sand filter mesocosm treating winery wastewater, Journal of Applied Microbiology, Mnth April v. 115 (1) (p. 91-101)
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jam.12203/epdf
Ramond, J-B, Welz, P J, Tuffin, M, Burton, S G, Cowan, D A. 2013. Selection of diazotrophic bacterial communities in biological sand filter mesocosms used for the treatment of phenolic laden wastewater, Microbial Ecology, Mnth October v. 66 (3) (p. 563-570)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23828521
Sheridan, C, Hildebrand, D, Glasser, D. 2014. Turning wine (waste) into water: Toward technological advances in the use of constructed wetlands for winery effluent treatment, AIChE Journal, Mnth February v. 60 (2) (p. 420-431)
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aic.14297/abstract
Welz, P J, Palmer, Z, Isaacs, S, Kirby, B, Le Roes-Hill, M. 2014. Analysis of substrate degradation, metabolite formation and microbial community responses in sand bioreactors treating winery wastewater: a comparative study, Journal of Environmental Management, Mnth December v. 145 (p. 147-156)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2014.06.025
Welz, P J, Le Roes-Hill, M. 2014. Biodegradation of organics and accumulation of metabolites in experimental biological sand filters used for the treatment of synthetic winery wastewater: A mesocosm study, Journal of Water Process Engineering, Mnth September v. 3 (p. 155-163)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2014.06.007
Welz, P J, Holtman, G A, Haldenwang, R, Le Roes-Hill, M. 2016. Characterisation of winery wastewater from continuous-flow settling basins and waste stabilisation ponds over the course of one year: implications for biological wastewater treatment and land application, Water Science and Technology. Mnth November v. 74 (9) (p. 2036-2050)
http://wst.iwaponline.com/content/early/2016/06/18/wst.2016.226
Report
Burton, S G, Welz, P J, Ramond, J-B, Sheridan, C, Kirby, B, Schueller, A, Garcin, C, Mirindamombe, G, Rodriquez, A, Pather-Elias, S, Prins, A, Sehata, J, Cowan, D A. 2012. Health for purpose in constructed wetlands: organic removal efficiencies and changes in microbial community dynamics associated with exposure to winery wastewater. Mnth February (p. 1-133) Water Research Commission, Gezina, Pretoria.
http://www.wrc.org.za/Knowledge%20Hub%20Documents/Research%20Reports/1936-1-11.pdf
Welz, P J, Ramond, J-B, Cowan, D A, Smith, I, Palmer, Z, Haldenwang, R, Burton, S G, Le Roes-Hill, M. 2015. Treatment of winery wastewater in unplanted constructed wetlands. Mnth March (p. 1-104) Water Research Commission, Gezina, Pretoria.
http://www.wrc.org.za/Knowledge%20Hub%20Documents/Research%20Reports/2104-1-14.pdf