Energy and Water Savings in Food and Beverage Wastewater Reuse
Reducing Energy and Wastewater Costs for California's Food and Beverage Industry
Porifera, Inc.
Recipient
San Leandro, CA
Recipient Location
9th
Senate District
18th
Assembly District
$1,777,132
Amount Spent
Completed
Project Status
Project Result
Porifera concluded this project in 2023, installed a forward osmosis recycler pilot, and performed the demonstration at the Frito-Lay facility in Modesto, California. This project demonstrated that the Porifera’s Forward Osmosis Recycler system (optimized for high starch content) reduced energy, reduced chemicals, and reduced the maintenance required for reuse of hard-to-treat industrial wastewaters. In addition, it produces exceptionally clean water, requires a smaller footprint to operate, is easy to scale in size, has a wide pH operating range, and no biological treatment is required. As far as the waste stream, no brine disposal is needed, no waste that is produced goes to a landfill, and the concentrated waste stream produced by the system may be re-used on-site as animal feed or mixed with primary sludge.
View Final ReportThe Issue
Affordable water reuse is a pain-point for food and beverage manufacturers, especially in water-stressed areas in the state, like southern and central California. Waste disposal costs and water sourcing expenses are increasing. Manufacturers are looking for solutions that will offset these rising costs of water use and treatment through energy efficient and reuse practices.
Project Innovation
This agreement developed new capabilities with the Porifera Forward Osmosis (PFO) Recycler so that it can treat high-starch wastewater from food and beverage manufacturing facilities and turn it into clean water for onsite reuse. This project will open up new market opportunities for the PFO Recycler and provide California's food and beverage manufacturers with a new energy efficient solution to rising water prices and wastewater disposal costs.
Project Goals
Project Benefits
California recognizes the relationship between water use and energy use. California food and beverage processors are large energy and consumers. This project's innovation produced an energy efficient method for treating water at the source of its production.
Affordability
This technology can provide benefits to the site operator by decreasing costs for water consumption and electricity for pumping, by as much as 40 percent compared to the current leading technology.
Environmental Sustainability
The PFO recycler system reduces water consumption and imbedded energy use from pumping and wastewater treatment, resulting in more availability of water and reduced carbon emissions.
Key Project Members
Olgica Bakajin, PhD
Erik Desormeaux, PE
Subrecipients
CDM Smith Inc.
James G. Coyle DBA James Consulting
Euroclydon Engineering
Match Partners
Porifera, Inc.
