Wastewater treatment system easy to operate for regional food production company

Australian wastewater treatment company, Aerofloat, is known for collaborating with clients seeking an environmentally sustainable solution for their business.

Aerofloat recently worked with innovative plant-based meat company, v2food, to design and install a wastewater treatment system to support its Wodonga manufacturing centre.

With the company rapidly growing and diversifying, it required a robust treatment system to ensure efficient management of its wastewater that could keep up with growth. HSE Manager at v2food, Scott Harbridge, said Aerofloat was the preferred wastewater treatment choice, thanks to its clear design and installation process.

“Aerofloat brought a robust solution to the table. We could clearly envision the end-product thanks to the 3D CAD designs they offered prior to installation,” said Harbridge.

“Any site challenges were addressed at the design stage and there were no surprises with the system at the time of installation” he added.

Aerofloat designed and installed inline manual screens, wastewater flow balancing tanks totalling 100m³ capacity, as well as pH correction and controlled discharge to sewer. The aerated and mixed balance tanks blended and hydraulically balanced the incoming wastewater for v2food.

Recent results confirmed that the system is producing wastewater well in spec, great news for v2food.

“Aerofloat’s system is simple to operate — we’ve also had Aerofloat’s engineers down to service the system every few months with excellent results. Having that ongoing relationship is also a great way for our operators to upskill and to also understand the mechanics of the system,” said Harbridge.

The system was fitted with intelligent HMI and remote monitoring capabilities to allow the v2food team operators access to the system even when not on site. It also ensures v2food can call on Aerofloat’s engineers in Sydney to identify issues and manage the system remotely if required.

“Being in Wodonga, it’s nice to know we can call on Aerofloat’s expertise in Sydney via remote login if needed,” added Harbridge.

Food consumption trends globally are unsustainable if the population continues to grow at the current rate.

v2food is using the latest science from CSIRO to make delicious and nutritious plant-based food that looks and tastes like meat. The company recently signed with Woolworths and Coles to distribute its Australian-made plant-based mince, burger patties and sausages. It also provides the plant-based meat for Hungry Jack’s Rebel Whopper burger, and collaborates with a number of food delivery giants including Marley Spoon.

According to v2food’s CEO and Founder, Nick Hazell: “Population growth is set to reach 10 billion people by the year 2050. Planet Earth’s resources would need to double to feed the population with animal meat alone.”

Aerofloat has a number of sustainable projects under its belt; working with v2food made sense.

“We really commend the work v2food is doing for the environment. Creating an alternative to meat-based food fits our innovative thinking and aspirations to improve the environment globally,” said Michael Anderson, Aerofloat’s Operations Manager.

“We enjoy working with clients that push the status quo. v2food’s vision to create a sustainable food source for our planet fits our own vision for sustainable wastewater solutions,” added Anderson.

Aerofloat is an Australian-owned and operated family business that offers standardised plants or custom-designed solutions utilising patented Aerofloat technology, as well as other leading-edge products to address a range of wastewater treatment requirements for the food and beverage industry.

Aerofloat’s engineers specialise in wastewater treatment and will either use standard plants or custom design a wastewater treatment solution based on the client’s requirements. Utilising 3D CAD modelling, proprietary technology and innovative engineering, Aerofloat uses clever designs to address a range of challenges.

Image caption: Nick Hazell in front of v2 display in Woolworths.