Winery wastewater treatment using the land filter technique

• Published in: Journal of environmental management 2010-08, Vol.91 (8), p.1665-1673
• Main Authors: Christen, E.W., Quayle, W.C., Marcoux, M.A., Arienzo, M., Jayawardane, N.S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural production; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Applied sciences; biochemical oxygen demand; Biological and medical sciences; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; crushing; Discharge; Drainage; drying; Effluents; Electric Conductivity; Environmental management; Environmental Restoration and Remediation - instrumentation; Environmental Restoration and Remediation - methods; Exact sciences and technology; Filtration; Filtration - methods; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; grapes; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; impeded drainage; Industrial Waste - analysis; irrigated farming; Land; land application; Leaching; Linear Models; Medical treatment; neutralization; New South Wales; Nutrients; planting; Pollutants; Pollution; ponds; potassium; Risk; screening; sodium; Soil; Soil (material); Soil - analysis; soil profiles; Soil resources; soil salinization; Soils; Studies; subsurface drainage; Technological change; Treatment; Vitaceae; Waste Disposal, Fluid - instrumentation; Waste Disposal, Fluid - methods; Waste management; Waste water; Wastewater; wastewater irrigation; wastewater treatment; Wastewaters; Water filtration; Water treatment; Water treatment and pollution; Wine; Wineries; Wineries & vineyards; Winery
• ISSN: 0301-4797; 1095-8630; 1095-8630
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2010.03.006

This study outlines a new approach to the treatment of winery wastewater by application to a land FILTER (Filtration and Irrigated cropping for Land Treatment and Effluent Reuse) system. The land FILTER system was tested at a medium size rural winery crushing ∼20,000 tonnes of grapes. The approach consisted of a preliminary treatment through a coarse screening and settling in treatment ponds, followed by application to the land FILTER planted to pasture. The land FILTER system efficiently dealt with variable volumes and nutrient loads in the wastewater. It was operated to minimize pollutant loads in the treated water (subsurface drainage) and provide adequate leaching to manage salt in the soil profile. The land FILTER system was effective in neutralizing the pH of the wastewater and removing nutrient pollutants to meet EPA discharge limits. However, suspended solids (SS) and biological oxygen demand (BOD) levels in the subsurface drainage waters slightly exceeded EPA limits for discharge. The high organic content in the wastewater initially caused some soil blockage and impeded drainage in the land FILTER site. This was addressed by reducing the hydraulic loading rate to allow increased soil drying between wastewater irrigations. The analysis of soil characteristics after the application of wastewater found that there was some potassium accumulation in the profile but sodium and nutrients decreased after wastewater application. Thus, the wastewater application and provision of subsurface drainage ensured adequate leaching, and so was adequate to avoid the risk of soil salinisation.