Reducing Odor and FOG at a Local Dairy – Testimonial

Biological Treatment for Dairy Wastewater, FOG, and Odor Control

Brinjac Engineering, Inc. worked with a dairy facility in Pennsylvania to address several wastewater treatment challenges, including odors, fats, oils and grease (FOG), and high-strength dairy process wastewater.

As part of the treatment program, BioLynceus® biological products were introduced to support microbial activity and improve conditions within the facility's wastewater system.

According to Stephen Zeller of Brinjac Engineering, the dairy observed significant improvements in both its pump station and treatment process.

Cleaner Wet Well and Reduced Grease Accumulation

Before treatment, the facility's existing pump station wet well had substantial accumulations of grease and fats and produced noticeable odors.

Approximately one year after BioLynceus® products were introduced into the pump station, the old station was scheduled for demolition.

When workers entered the wet well in May 2014, Zeller reported that conditions had changed significantly.

The wet well that had previously been coated with grease and fats was reported to be clean and free of visible grease accumulation.

This improvement helped demonstrate the potential value of biological treatment as part of a broader FOG-management and collection-system maintenance program.

Supporting Dairy Wastewater Treatment During Construction

The dairy later began a construction project lasting more than nine months to install a new wastewater pretreatment process.

During construction, the existing digester was removed from service. As a result, the facility's remaining treatment tank had to temporarily manage the accumulated sludge solids.

BioLynceus® products were added to support biological activity and aerobic digestion of organic solids within the treatment tank.

According to Zeller, the facility operated for more than nine months without requiring sludge wasting during this period.

He also reported that the treatment process remained stable and that no significant odor problems were observed.

Biological Treatment for Dairy Process Wastewater

Dairy wastewater can present treatment challenges because it may contain elevated concentrations of:

  • Fats, oils and grease (FOG)

  • Milk solids

  • Proteins

  • Sugars and carbohydrates

  • Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)

  • Chemical oxygen demand (COD)

  • Suspended solids

  • Cleaning and sanitation residues

A biological treatment program can be incorporated into dairy wastewater pretreatment to help support microbial degradation of biodegradable organic material.

Potential benefits may include:

  • Reduced grease accumulation

  • Improved wet well conditions

  • Odor reduction

  • Enhanced organic solids digestion

  • Support for wastewater process stability

  • Reduced maintenance demands

Supporting Industrial Wastewater Pretreatment

The experience reported by Brinjac Engineering illustrates how biological treatment can provide additional flexibility when industrial wastewater systems face unusual operating conditions, construction projects, or changes in treatment capacity.

For this Pennsylvania dairy, BioLynceus® products were used to support FOG management, odor control, sludge digestion, and biological wastewater treatment during both normal operations and a major pretreatment-system upgrade.

Sincerely,
Stephen Zeller
Brinjac Engineering, Inc.

The results described above reflect observations from this specific dairy wastewater facility. Performance may v