PRESENTATION "Effects of pretreatment on membrane performance in cow water purification to drinking water"

We analyse the efforts within the dairy industry to reduce water consumption by reusing wastewater and process water, focusing on a pilot project called "Living Lab East Frisia" under the EU research network B-WaterSmart.

The project aims to treat vapor condensate (cow water) to drinking water quality using a pilot plant with a capacity of up to 5 m³/h. The plant employs biological pretreatment, ultrafiltration, and reverse osmosis. Over two years, the plant has been successfully operated and optimized, adjusting parameters to smoothen feed variations and improve cleaning strategies.

Economic viability depends on minimizing cleaning frequency to reduce water consumption and downtime. Optimizations include substrate selection, maintaining stable pH levels, and addressing nutrient limitations to improve membrane performance. These efforts have increased water yield to up to 85%.