Wastewater in the HORECA sector: a critical challenge for sustainability
Hospitality, restaurants and catering (HORECA) share a structural challenge that directly affects their operational, regulatory and environmental viability: wastewater management. Salher’s approach to treating these waters combines engineering, manufacturing and technical support to help businesses address this challenge effectively.
Professional kitchens, washing areas, cold rooms and service zones generate highly variable and complex effluents with high loads of fats and oils, coarse and fine solids from organic waste, food residues and packaging, high organic load (elevated COD and BOD₅), as well as detergents and disinfectants that may interfere with biological treatment processes.
The HORECA sector requires compact, easy-to-operate solutions capable of adapting to peak activity and limited spaces. In this context, Salher supports hotels, restaurants and catering companies in what has become a structural challenge: managing wastewater according to sustainability and efficiency criteria.
Without adequate treatment, these discharges can cause blockages in sewer networks, unpleasant odours, increased maintenance costs, administrative penalties and, in extreme cases, temporary facility closures. For many HORECA businesses, wastewater management is not only about regulatory compliance, but also about operational efficiency, business continuity and reputation.
Experience shows that there is no single solution, but rather a combination of technologies tailored to each point of wastewater generation. With this integrated approach, Salher’s solutions cover the entire cycle, from pretreatment to treatment and reuse.
Kitchens and food preparation areas
Professional kitchens are the main source of fats and organic residues. For this reason, the installation of grease separators is essential to protect internal drainage systems and comply with discharge limits.
Salher grease separators, manufactured in GRP or stainless steel, are designed to:
- Efficiently separate oils and fats
- Retain settleable solids
- Reduce odours and facilitate maintenance.
Proper selection and sizing are key to preventing downstream failures and ensuring system stability. Among these solutions, Salher has recently launched its new MORSA grease separators, manufactured in GRP and designed for the direct recovery of fats from wastewater.
Effective pretreatment for washing and service areas
In dishwashing areas, tray washing and utensil cleaning zones, large volumes of water carry solid particles of different sizes. Screening and pretreatment systems remove these solids before they reach subsequent stages, where they could damage electromechanical equipment.
To reduce breakdowns and extend equipment lifespan, Salher offers screens, filters and compact screening units, such as TAURUS, TAHEL and PPC plants, especially suited for central kitchens, catering services, high-occupancy hotels and installations with space constraints.
On-site wastewater treatment in hotels, resorts and central kitchens
In larger facilities or locations without access to adequate municipal wastewater treatment networks, on-site treatment becomes a practical and cost-effective solution. Salher’s compact wastewater treatment plants, based on physico-chemical and biological technologies, have been supplied to:
- numerous kitchens in gastronomic markets, such as San Antón Market in central Madrid,
- seatering and ready-meal services, including La Vienesa and Stock and Superseis supermarkets in Paraguay,
- multiple hotels, resorts, service areas, leisure centres and remote catering facilities.
Water reuse: from compliance to efficiency
Beyond safe discharge, some HORECA establishments are moving towards treated water reuse for non-potable applications such as:
- Irrigation of green areas
- Cleaning operations
- Toilet flushing
Salher’s water reuse systems, installed downstream of wastewater treatment, integrate advanced filtration and disinfection technologies, turning wastewater into an operational resource and reducing potable water consumption.
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Engineering – Wastewater treatment – Purification – Liquid/solids separation equipment for industrial and municipal process applications – Surface water – Groundwater – Water Reuse – Drinking Water – Hydrocarbon and Oil Water Separation