Schreiber Dynamix Plant in India Launches Water Conservation and Recycling Project

Partners at the Schreiber Dynamix plant in Baramati, India, have installed a water recycling system to help the facility to become more self-sufficient as the availability of water in the region becomes a challenge.

The Ujani dam, located about 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) from the industrial area, is the source of the plant’s raw water supply. Often, the water level in the dam dips below zero, requiring officials to tap into the dam’s storage capacity to meet residential, agricultural and industrial needs in the region.

The plant, which processes quality milk for various brands in India and UHT (ultra-heat treatment) juice products, requires about 3,000 cubic meters (792,516 gallons) of water daily to operate. However, during the summer season, the plant has a water shortfall of about 800 cubic meters (211,338 gallons) every day.

Increasing demand - along with frequent breakdowns in the dam's pipeline and water distribution system due to aging infrastructure - means the Schreiber Dynamix plant often must purchase water through tankers, a costly solution to the water shortfall problem. To mitigate cost and reduce potential safety risks to partners from the movement of tankers within the plant's premises, Schreiber Dynamix recently installed state-of-the art technology to treat and recycle water at the plant.

"Schreiber Dynamix identified opportunities to treat water coming out from existing evaporators, clean in place (CIP) flushing, water treatment plant (WTP) backwash and milk condensate (COW) water to generate purified water," said Jitendra Jadhav, International Project Manager. "Through this water recycling project, we will be generating up to 40 percent of the water we need to operate during peak time for milk processing."

The water treatment system uses a membrane bioreactor - a highly advanced and innovative technology applied in the field of biological treatment - and reverse osmosis to recycle water. Treated water will be used for the plant’s CIP rinsing cycle and cooling tower top-up, among other uses.

“By recycling water at the plant, we're able to substantially reduce our purchase of water through tankers, lowering our wastewater treatment costs and eliminating traffic concerns at our factory premises while also protecting our environment," Jitendra said. "We're excited to be a part of an innovative project that helps offset the water supply shortfall in India."