Water Pretreatment Facility for Wastewater Plant - The Dannon Co.

The project was initiated to significantly increase yogurt production needed after a significant growth in sales with the success of the company’s Activia® and other lines of yogurt products. The new facility was designed to pre-treat the plant’s wastewater prior to being discharged to the local municipality and enable Dannon to double yogurt production (with further expansion capabilities built-in).

Prior to starting the construction contract work in late August 2010, MWH completed preliminary engineering of the wastewater pretreatment facility, including the sizing and layout of treatment units. Additionally, the MWH team identified the right DB components to expedite the design, construction and operations of the pretreatment facility.

As work progressed, the construction team was able to identify several methods of construction that helped save Dannon both time and money. First, because the design team was fully engaged in the construction process, the team was able to quickly make decisions on any proposed changes and immediately modify designs. Second, the construction team would typically plan out work several days ahead to identify potential issues, giving the design team enough time to provide a rapid response to the issues identified and to reissue drawings incorporating any modifications.

The construction team also found ways for the various construction disciplines to work efficiently and effectively together. Within a small on-site construction office, structural, mechanical and electrical professionals worked in the same room without impeding each other’s work, and specialized contractors worked in different areas.

The primary treatment process selected was moving bed bioreactor (MBBR) combined with dissolved air flotation (DAF), which includes the pretreatment facility, odor control facilities, pumping, tanks, treatment and storage. The MBBR process was selected because it reduces the volume of biological reactor basins required as compared to conventional treatment systems. By using plastic biological carriers, MBBR systems increase the total biological component of the reactor, which is also helpful when dealing with high strength wastewater, such as that produced by yogurt manufacturing. Overall, the system requires less space than other biological systems and fewer controls, while meeting discharge requirements and handling a flow of several hundred thousand gallons per day. Dannon was the first plant in Utah to use MBBR.