OIL & GREASE, ODOR & SLUDGE REDUCTION
POULTRY RENDERING PLANT FACULTATIVE LAGOON

Biological Treatment Summary

The Situation

A poultry-rendering facility had problems with its facultative wastewater lagoon.

• Sludge build up had completely taken over the lagoon, decreasing lagoon capacity and creating effluent problems.
  
• The oil and grease cap had taken over the lagoon.
  
• The belt filter press was operating at capacity
  
• BOD was up over 1,000; TSS was over 24,000
  

The company felt it's only alternative was to dredge the lagoon and dispose of the sludge at a substantial financial and labor cost.

The Solution

Bio-Form LLC developed a program for this plant that consisted of four different steps:

1. A seed application of Bio-Form LLC's BZT® Waste Digester a bacteria, enzyme, micronutrient formulation to establish biological control over the entire system.
   
2. A series of secondary seed applications over the next four weeks to ensure biological control. (The treatment program was more intense than usual because of the situation faced and the fact that it's mighty cold in Maryland in the middle of winter.)
   
3. An aggressive maintenance application period of 12 weeks during which Bio-Form LLC personnel trained the facility employees to balance operations and fine-tune the application process.
   
4. An on-going maintenance application to maintain the system and continue sludge reduction.

The Results

Within six weeks BOD and TSS levels were coming down and they gained two inches [5.08cm] back on "freeboard". The cap on the facultative pond was breaking up and odors were reduced.

Significant Long-Term Value - Approximately 90 days after treatments started they were able to shut down the belt filter press. Odors had all but disappeared; they had gained a full 18 inches [45.72cm] of capacity in their ponds. This is especially remarkable considering the volume of sludge in the ponds prior to beginning the treatment program.

Among the benefits now being realized are:

• BOD levels as low as 4
  
• TSS levels as low as 100
  
• The elimination of lagoon stress
  
• Tremendous time savings in treating problems
  
• The virtual elimination of odors
  
• Significant time and money savings in operating the filter press
  
• Cost savings from eliminating the need for offsite solids disposal of pressed solids

Much to their delight, the sludge blanket is now completely broken down and pumpable. They can now pump when they want.

The benefits listed here are obvious. But, just for good measure, Mother Nature added another eye-opener. During Hurricane Floyd, the area in and around the plant received over 12 inches [30.48cm] of rain. Because of the additional capacity the treatment program provided, the plant was able to contain all of this rainfall and still maintain compliance within discharge permit limits. Had the storm hit before the program was begun, the same may not have been true.