A brewery wastewater system can be pretty simple. It can also be really complex, but let’s hope that only happens to the big guys.
Components of a brewery wastewater pretreatment system could be as simple as a good wastewater sample location, such as an inspection manhole. This will allow the regulatory people to put a sampler in a secure location (they own the sampler and they can be expensive). Samplers can be automatic, they will usually grab a bunch of small samples, say 1 per hour, and those samples can go in to 1 big jar or they can go in to individual jars. 1 big jar of a bunch of samples is called a composite sample. Samples can also be collected manually, known as a grab sample. Grab samples can be kept in individual jars or they can be combined in to 1 big jar. For most purposes it makes the most sense to do composite samples. We’re interested in the big picture. Lots of jars of small samples are good if we’re trying to track down a problem. One thing to be aware of with samples is hold time. How long can the sample sit and still be representative of the original sample? You’d be surprised, but this gets technical. Sample storage in a refrigerator or in a cooler with ice is good and can give a 5-7 day hold time.
Anyway, the point of this blog entry is brewery wastewater EQ tanks. If you need something beyond a inspection manhole, next you will need a lift station. A big or small underground tank that will pump wastewater. Pump it in to the sewer or pump it in to an above ground tank. An EQ tank can be underground and be part of your lift station, or it can be above ground. With an EQ tank you can adjust the pH and regulate the flow out to the sewer. Another name for an EQ tank is a equalization tank or balance tank. More inventive people can come up with much more colorful terms. Swag tank, sweetwater tank…