Dairy farms produce millions of litres of milk every year to nourish billions of consumers around the world. Global demand for dairy products (milk, cream, cheese, yogurt, butter, etc.) has challenged processors to increase the supply. With an increase of production comes an increase of wastewater.

Dairy production wastewater can contain suspended solids, whey, and fat, oil, and grease (FOG) concentrations, which can be difficult to treat. Pretreatment requirements have limited what can be discharged into sewers and local waterways and wastewater disposal costs have risen dramatically, prompting cost-conscious dairy plant managers to take action.