IWWS Physical/Chemical Wastewater Treatment Systems for the Poultry Processing Industry treat every type of waste stream created by eviscerating, further processing and cleaning. The system operates in a continuous process using minimal amounts of chemistry in a self-contained, skid-mounted unit that uses little floor space and requires minimal operator intervention.

The Application

Industrial Waste Water Services supplies wastewater treatment systems to both poultry kill plants and further processing plants. Poultry processing creates different types of waste streams depending on the type of plant and its products.

Kill Plants

Plants that process chickens or turkeys and ice pack whole birds for shipping - These plants typically run two shifts which produce two distinct types of waste:

First Shift (slaughter) - Dirt, grit from craws, feathers, blood and feces from the eviscerating lines make up the waste stream. Turkey plants produce heavier loadings of dirt and grit.

Second Shift (cleaning) - This is the more difficult of the two streams being made up of blood and dirt combined with high pH cleaners. The timing of the waste flows is difficult as well. Chillers and scalders are usually dumped within an hour of one another. Systems must be sized to accommodate the surges especially in plants with contracted cleaning services where the contractor is under time pressures and pushes the waste treatment system to its limit.

Further Processing

Whether combined with kill operations or a separate plant, further processing introduces a wide range of contaminants beyond those found in the birds themselves.

Cooking produces large volumes of fat, oils and greases from the birds and from frying operations.
Ingredients such as breading, seasoning, marinade, flour, starch and sugar complicate the waste treatment process. Flour and sugar, for example, quickly become dissolved making it extremely difficult to remove.

Cleaning introduces high pH cleaners from boil-out steps and other cleaning operations.

The Challenge

The challenge is to design a waste treatment system that can handle the wide fluctuations in waste streams from shift to shift. Designing a good system requires an in-depth knowledge of the poultry industry and a specific understanding of each customer’s operations. The system must be sized to accommodate the volume and timing of various flows. It must also easily adapt to changing waste conditions without putting unreasonable demands on the operators.

Finally, a waste treatment system must be cost effective. It cannot use up vast tracts of valuable floor space nor can it use large quantities of chemicals. And it must absolutely keep the customer in compliance with the POTW’s discharge limits.