Problem: Wisconsin-based Meister Cheese treats its wastewater solids using anaerobic digestion. The biogas is converted to electricity to power the plant. The wastewater is high in antimicrobial chemicals from surface disinfection to meet food safety standards. These chemicals disrupt biological wastewater treatment. For years the company struggled to maintain digester performance from biological inhibition. The only option was to reduce cheese production or pay costly hauling fees to dispose of high-strength waste.
Solution: In 2022 the company began treating its influent wastewater with Moleaer technology that injects nanobubbles, a clean chemistry generated on site using air and water, to remove cleaning chemicals.
Result: The company saw immediate improvement in digestion and was able to increase cheese production by 20% and biogas production by 30%. The technology had a payback of about 30 days, and the process improvements enabled the company to avoid more than $10 million in costs. “With nanobubble technology, we’ve become more than energy neutral at the wastewater treatment facility,” says Larry Harris, director of technology and cheese master. “In a normal month, we would spend about $11,000 in electricity costs. Currently our average is about $2,000.” 424-558-3567; www.moleaer.com.
