Tomato Processing Challenges
AquaNatural Solutions began treating this tomato processing pond in the summer of 2012. The before photo shows that their challenges were not only organics floating on top and a buildup of sludge in the bottom of the ponds, but they were also overwhelmed with a significant number of odor complaints from the neighboring city. Prior to the start of treatment, this processor had to remove three to four feet of sludge from their ponds annually. To make matters worse, BOD and COD numbers were out of compliance with the water board.
The after photo shows how we successfully reduced the amount of sludge buildup in the ponds and odor complaints from the neighboring city, and also significantly reduced the regulatory numbers for the water board. We continue to treat this pond with great success today.
It’s not uncommon to see this condition in a tomato processing wastewater pond. Processing tomatoes for paste or canning results in a lot of organics left behind in the pond system, and fortunately, we have the Microbe-Lift products to successfully resolve these challenges.
