Dairy Waste Treatment Pilot Plant*
R.  RUPERT KOUNTZ
Professor of Sanitary Engineering
The Pennsylvania State College
State College, Pennsylvania
In April, 1952, a contract was negotiated between the U. S. Department of Agriculture and The Pennsylvania State College (School of
Engineering) for the development of engineering details, based on pilot
plant operation, of the treatment of dairy wastes. The initial laboratory
research on the principles of the biological oxidation of dairy wastes
was performed by Hoover and his co-workers, and presented at previous
Purdue Industrial Waste Conferences. This work has been summarized
in a pamphlet prepared by the Eastern Regional Research Laboratory
(AIC-332).
Contract Requirements
The major features of the contract stated that a pilot plant must
be constructed that would treat 10,000 gals, a day of waste from an
operating dairy. Chemical analyses of influent and effluent, as well as
determinations of oxygen transfer, pH, and redox potentials must be
made while the pilot plant was in operation.
The pilot plant was to be operated over a sufficient period of time
as a fill-and-draw system so that steady operating conditions are established for temperatures of 50-75-90° F. and at various rates of air flow.
After the fill and draw test period, a similar operation schedule on a
continuous flow basis must be undertaken. An investigation of alternate
methods of aeration must be undertaken. An investigation of the removal
of cells (sludge) by various methods and the preparation of at least
four 10-pound samples of dried sludge for laboratory study must be
carried out. An investigation of the effect of added nutrients, specially
in the treatment of whey must be studied. Preparation of recommendations for full scale plants based on the results of this study must be
carried out.
*A report of work done under contract with the U. S. Department of
Agriculture and authorized by the Research and Marketing Act of 1946. The
contract is being supervised by the Eastern Regional Research Laboratory of
the Bureau of Agricultural  and Industrial  Chemistry.
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