A Midwest meat processor generating approximately 1.5 million gallons of wastewater per day partnered with Apex to pilot ReclaimX™ WT, evaluating onsite water reuse to reduce discharge, freshwater demand, and municipal treatment pressure.
The Situation
When wastewater becomes a growth constraint
Large meat processing facilities generate wastewater with high concentrations of blood, fats, oils, grease and organic material. In smaller communities, a single facility can consume a majority of the local POTW capacity.
This facility faced a choice: help finance municipal treatment expansion, or reclaim and reuse wastewater within the plant. Apex was brought in to evaluate the water reuse path.
The Challenge
Membrane fouling stopped the first approach
Initial testing quickly identified the biggest obstacle.
Simply filtering the secondary DAF effluent through a 0.1 μm ultrafiltration membrane was not possible. Although the water appeared relatively clear, the high concentration of dissolved organics rapidly fouled the membranes.
Bench testing showed the UF system required chemical cleaning after less than 30 minutes of operation.
The challenge became:
How do you remove enough biological oxygen demand (BOD) before membrane treatment without constructing an entirely new biological treatment system?
“With high BOD water it is necessary to digest the BOD prior to UF, or the untreated organics will quickly foul the membrane.”
The ReclaimX™ WT Process
An integrated treatment train built for consistent reclaimed-water quality
Instead of building an entirely new biological treatment system, Apex repurposed the customer’s existing equalization basins into aerobic digesters.
By increasing retention time to more than 24 hours, naturally occurring bacteria significantly reduced biological oxygen demand (BOD) before membrane treatment.
Following biological pretreatment, the wastewater passed through:
• On-site oxidant generation
• Optimized Coagulation
• Ultrafiltration (UF)
• Reverse Osmosis (RO)
The integrated treatment train produced a stable feed stream, minimized membrane fouling, and generated high-quality reclaimed water suitable for plant reuse.
Pilot Results
Strong technical performance. Meaningful economic impact.
The ReclaimX™ pilot transformed high-strength wastewater into high-quality reclaimed water, reducing conductivity, COD, and TSS by more than 98%.
The treated water could be reused in a variety of nonproduct-contact applications, providing up to 1.0 MGD of reclaimed water while reducing both freshwater demand and wastewater discharge.
Water Quality Improvement
From high-strength wastewater to high-quality reclaimed water.
The pilot reduced conductivity, COD and TSS by more than 98%, supporting reuse across multiple non-product-contact applications.
| Key Parameter | Secondary DAF | ReclaimX™ Treated |
|---|---|---|
| Ca Hardness (mg/L as CaCO3) | 62 | 3.5 |
| Mg Hardness (mg/L as CaCO3) | 87 | 5.7 |
| Conductivity (µmho) | 2,911 | 44 |
| Chloride (mg/L) | 791 | 20 |
| Sodium (mg/L) | 553 | 11 |
| Phosphate (mg/L) | 2.4 | <0.1 |
| Silica (mg/L) | 8.6 | 0.7 |
| Sulfate (mg/L) | 112 | 8 |
| Iron (mg/L) | 0.55 | <0.1 |
| COD (mg/L) | 525 | <1.0 |
| TSS (mg/L) | 41 | <0.1 |
| pH | 6.3 | 6.7 |
Key Learnings
Five takeaways from the pilot.
1. Repurpose Existing Infrastructure
Existing equalization basins can often become highly effective biological pretreatment systems, reducing project costs while minimizing new construction.
2. Pretreatment Determines Performance
Biological digestion combined with optimized coagulation and advanced oxidation dramatically reduces membrane fouling and creates a stable feed stream for ultrafiltration.
3. Higher Flux Improves Economics
Achieving sustained UF flux rates around 30 LMH, with peaks reaching 50 LMH, reduces membrane area requirements, lowers capital costs, and improves project economics.
4. Utility-Grade Reclaimed Water Has High Value
Large volumes of reclaimed water can replace municipal water in non-product-contact applications such as barn water, scald tanks, process screens, evaporative condensers, and boilers.
5. Water Reuse Creates More Than Savings
Water reclamation reduces operating costs, strengthens water security, improves plant resilience, reduces dependence on municipal infrastructure, and supports future growth.
Is ReclaimX™ WT Right for Your Facility?
Water is too valuable to use only once.
If your facility is facing rising water costs, wastewater discharge limits, municipal treatment constraints, sustainability initiatives or water reuse goals, Team Apex can evaluate the process and identify opportunities to recover more water.
By integrating on-site oxidant generation, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, automation, and ongoing optimization, ReclaimX™ helps manufacturers:
- Reduce water consumption
- Lower water and sewer costs
- Recycle wastewater
- Improve sustainability performance
- Recover valuable water resources
Frequently Asked Questions
How can meat processing facilities reuse wastewater?
Meat processing wastewater can be treated through a combination of biological pretreatment, advanced oxidation, coagulation, ultrafiltration, and reverse osmosis to produce high-quality reclaimed water for non-product-contact uses.
What can reclaimed water be used for in a meat processing plant?
Reclaimed water can support applications such as barn water, scald tanks, process screens, evaporative condensers, and boilers, reducing the need for municipal freshwater.
What are the benefits of wastewater reuse for meat processors?
Water reuse can reduce municipal water purchases and wastewater discharge, decrease loading on municipal treatment systems, improve water self-sufficiency and resilience, and support future production growth.
What are the key challenges to watch for when reusing meat processing wastewater?
Meat processing wastewater can contain high levels of BOD, fats, oils, grease, suspended solids, and dissolved organics, all of which can interfere with membrane performance. In the ReclaimX™ WT pilot, untreated organics caused rapid ultrafiltration fouling, making effective biological pretreatment and optimized upstream treatment critical before UF and RO.