Application of the biothane wastewater treatment system in the soft drinks industry

This paper describes the experience gained by Yorkshire Water in the construction and operation of a wastewater treatment plant to deal with the effluent from Europe's largest canning and bottling factory (at Wakefield, West Yorkshire). The process which was chosen was the ‘Biothane’ upward-flow anaerobic sludge blanket system. Commissioning of the plant was fraught with difficulties due to the erratic organic load being discharged from the factory, along with larger than anticipated volumes of caustic solution.