Situation:

The Hurlock, MD poultry plant processes about 300,000 chickens per day which equals a total flow of 1.3MGD (4 gallons per bird). The existing process strain included a DAF unit and wet well. The effluent wastewater of the DAF unit was 530mg/l BOD, 95mg/l TKN and 106mg/l TSS. However the discharge permit is 425mg/l BOD before the water is send to the local POTW for further treatment.

Solution and process description:

To improve BOD removal the plant was expanded with an aerated EQ tank as well as fixed bed bio reactor basin. The EQ tank holds up to 1.6MG and releases a continuously flow of 300GPM (0.43 MGD) to the new FBBR basin. In the FBBR basin BOD is lowered to about 30mg/l. Afterwards the effluent of the FBBR basin and the remaining water flow of the aeration tank (0.87MGD) are mixed together in a diffuser tank. The mixed wastewater has a total BOD of about 320mg/l, 60mg/l TKN and 195mg/l TSS.

Process flow diagram:

Product:

We supplied a turn key system for the Hurlock poultry plant including:

• Blowers with VFDs and air manifold piping
• Valves and air supply hoses to BIOcube FBBRs
• BIOcube FBBR systems
• Fine bubble strip diffusers and piping for mixing tank

The core system component is the fixed bed bio reactor (FBBR):

In case of any questions please contact us at:

Karl-Uwe Schmitz

Aqua Equip Technologies LLC

1302 Waugh Dr. Unit 836
Houston, TX 77019 USA

karl.schmitz@aqua-equip.com    |   www.aqua-equip.com