Moving locations easy for brewery wastewater system

Located in one of Sydney’s most beautiful areas, 4 Pines Brewing Company recently moved and upgraded its existing wastewater treatment plant to meet production growth.

4 Pines Brewing Company is known for its commitment to sustainable operations, with social and environmental responsibility integral to its ongoing growth strategy. Expanding its Brookvale premises in Sydney needed to leave a minimal environmental footprint; the brewery’s existing wastewater treatment system was therefore upgraded rather than replaced in the move.

“4 Pines strives to waste less and repurpose. We re-use and recycle. It was important that our existing wastewater treatment system came with us when we expanded onto the new site,” said Tristan Houghton, Maintenance Manager at 4 Pines Brookvale.

Aerofloat’s original wastewater treatment system installed in 2018 was re-used and readily transported to the new site. Aerofloat’s engineers were on hand to support the installation and to ensure the system was up and running so that 4 Pines could resume operations within the tight schedule.

“The engineers at Aerofloat are terrific to work with. They really care about ensuring the best result possible and are always on hand if we have any questions or need specialist advice,” said Houghton.

Aerofloat’s compact wastewater treatment system had been installed on the previous Brookvale site in 2018 to meet rapid production growth following acquisition by global giant AB InBev. The site quickly became a major location for producing 4 Pines’ famous Australian brews, with production increasing by up to 50%. Aerofloat’s compact system managed the rapid growth in wastewater flow and has ensured ongoing compliant effluent for the company ever since.

As part of the recent move to new premises, Aerofloat upgraded the existing system by streamlining the chemical supply, including optimising the flocculant to the brewery’s wastewater and installing new flow sensors to regulate control. Combined with the latest human–machine interface (HMI) technology, 4 Pines staff can keep an eye on the system even when not on-site. Aerofloat technicians can also log in remotely to check and adjust the system as requested and offer advice to ensure uninterrupted operations.

“We’ve been able to increase efficiencies across our operations and reduce our environmental footprint even further since the Aerofloat wastewater treatment system upgrade,” said Houghton.

The wastewater treatment system at 4 Pines consists of Aerofloat’s patented dissolved air flotation (AeroDAF) technology. The system meets the brewery’s need for a compact system that not only fits within the space available but also ensures an odour-free solution. With the bar area located next to the production centre, an odourless effluent is imperative to ensure a pleasant environment for the brewery’s clientele. The AeroDAF is an enclosed system and any potential odours are vented above the roofline.

Aerofloat’s AeroDAF technology is mechanically simple, low maintenance and affordable. The absence of mechanical scrapers seen in more traditional DAFs means that operations aren’t suspended for standard DAF cleaning. It also eliminates the need for a reaction tank, sludge pump and sludge hopper for cleaning.

The 4 Pines solution was designed as a set-and-forget system, with Aerofloat’s automated controls including chemical dosing, chemical make-up, level control, water consolidation and pH correction. The system removes the solids from the brewery wastewater and corrects the pH before discharging to sewer.

The Aerofloat system has consistently given excellent effluent results, both at the previous site and the new 2020 location, and meets both 4 Pines’ environmental mandate and Sydney Water’s strict discharge limits.

View a video case study of Aerofloat’s wastewater treatment solution at 4 Pines at www.aerofloat.com.au.