LAND DISPOSAL OF MEAT PACKING WASTEWATER
CASE HISTORY
D. O. Dencker, General Sanitary Engineer
P. J. Landwehr, Senior Project Engineer
Oscar Mayer & Company
Madison, Wisconsin 53707
G. M. Sallwasser. Vice President
Horner & Shifrin, Inc.
St. Louis, Missouri 63110
INTRODUCTION
The Oscar Mayer & Co. Plant at Beardstown, Illinois is a large modern 750-head/hr hog
slaughtering, cutting and boning plant with edible rendering and full inedible by-products
processing. Construction started in the late fall of 1965, and full production was initiated
in July 1967. In 1973, the plant was expanded to include additional fresh meat operations
and ham canning.
Wastewater pretreatment facilities constructed in 1965-66 consisted of vibrating screens,
gravity sedimentation and dissolved-air flotation. Four separate sewer systems were installed
with segregated flows as follows: (a) grease containing industrial wastewater; (b) manure
containing industrial wastewater; (c) sanitary sewage; and (d) noncontact cooling water/precipitation runoff.
In conjunction with the packing plant construction, the City of Beardstown, by agreement
with Oscar Mayer & Co., constructed a three-stage anaerobic-aerobic lagoon system to provide secondary treatment for the pretreated industrial wastewater. This secondary treatment
system was constructed to the requirements of the Illinois Sanitary Water Board, and was
put into operation on July 1, 1967. Final effluent is discharged to the Illinois River by means
of a 2H-mile-long outfall sewer. The initial treatment facilities are shown in Figure 1.
Effluent quality from the anaerobic-aerobic lagoon system met Sanitary Water Board permit requirements, and the only appreciable problem was an intermediate lagoon septic odor
problem, most noticeable during the spring. This we attributed to the spring turnover, coupled with a stronger than typical anaerobic lagoon discharge to the intermediate lagoon. Comparison with other meat packing installations indicated that we are not getting the full anaerobic reduction activity due to the relatively short 4-day detention in the City of Beardstown
anaerobic lagoon. The City and Oscar Mayer then agreed at a meeting on November 20,
1970 that additional anaerobic lagoon capacity was needed.
Concurrent with this Beardstown activity, the newly constituted Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency informed the City that improved treatment results were required from the
facility serving the Oscar Mayer & Co. Plant. This was in spite of the fact that the implementation plan  for the Illinois River Water Quality Standards (SWB-8) stated the additional
treatment requirement for the Oscar Mayer & Co. Plant was "none" [ 1 ].
Simultaneously, the newly formed Illinois pollution Control Board announced their intention to completely revise Illinois effluent standards with hearings on the proposed new
requirements, including stringent nutrient limits, starting December 17, 1970.
In view of this complex situation, per an Oscar Mayer & Co. recommendation, the City
interviewed consulting engineers and selected Horner & Shifrin, Inc. of St. Louis, Missouri
to provide engineering services and representation at meetings with regulatory agencies.
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