Valley Queen Cheese Factory Inc. was founded in Milbank, South Dakota, USA, over 80 years ago. The cheese producer employs over 100 people and manufactures reduced- and low-fat cheddar and marbled Colby-Jack cheese.

Challenge

Cheese needed a reliable technology solution that could keep pace as production increased.

Solution

The rapidly expanding cheese company’s wastewater treatment issues were limiting its ability to grow. Valley Queen ADI Systems, a leader in anaerobic treatment of dairy processing wastewater, was selected by Valley Queen Cheese Factory to design and build a system to treat its wastewater.

In order to achieve a high-quality effluent, Valley Queen Cheese’s new wastewater treatment system includes:

• 2,200,000 gal (8,300 m3) Type S anaerobic ADI-BVF® reactor
• 500,000 gal (1,890 m3) twin-tank ADI® sequencing batch reactor (​​SBR) system
• Control building and laboratory
• pH adjustment
• Screening and equalization
• Cooling
• Re-aeration
• Disinfection
  
  

Results

The wastewater treatment plant that ADI Systems provided for Valley Queen Cheese was successfully delivered on a tight schedule. Design, installation, and commissioning were done as quickly as possible without compromising attention to detail or interrupting plant production. The plant began treating wastewater just nine months after the purchase order was issued.

The treatment system allowed the cheese maker to treat process wastewater so that it met environmental regulations for many years. To meet more stringent effluent regulations, the SBR system was later modified for nitrogen and phosphorus removal. Treated effluent discharges into the Whetstone Creek and ultimately ends up in the Minnesota River.