Salher’s Advanced Solutions for Wastewater Treatment and Reuse in Wineries

Which Technologies Ensure Efficient Water Treatment in Wineries?

When designing a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) for a winery, the key factors include the required effluent quality, available space, and operational considerations—namely whether the facility has dedicated personnel for plant maintenance.

In general, wastewater generated in the agro-food industry is characterized by high biodegradability, especially in wineries during harvest months. Although winery effluents are not toxic per se, they have a highly contaminating effect due to their high organic load.

A typical water treatment line for the wine industry will include the following:

• Pretreatment. Salher recommends using an automatic solids screening system to separate coarse and fine solid particles (seeds, skins, stems, etc.), such as Salher’s Taurus rotary screen. This stage also involves an equalization tank to homogenize pollutant loads and regulate flow rates, coupled with a pH control system.

• Physical-Chemical Treatment. During primary treatment, Salher offers two DAF (Dissolved Air Flotation) systems: the Vespa model for smaller facilities or those requiring a highly compact unit due to space constraints, and the Xcorpio for higher flow rates. Both are used to remove fine suspended solids, oils, and fats at 95%, achieving BOD₅/COD reductions of around 80%.

• Biological Secondary Treatment. To treat winery wastewater, Salher recommends biological systems—particularly aerobic processes with oxygen input. These do not generate odors or toxic gases and achieve more consistent performance than other treatments. Alternative reactor technologies can also be supplied depending on each project’s specifications.
• Sludge Line.
• Automation. All Salher treatment plants include an electrical control panel that, depending on the degree of automation and instrumentation, can incorporate electromagnetic flow meters, probes (dissolved O₂, nitrates, pH, etc.), level sensors (ultrasound, radar), frequency inverters, PLC, remote monitoring, and more.

Salher’s Water Reuse Technologies Help Reduce Water Consumption

Salher’s reuse technologies significantly reduce water consumption, protecting the environment and optimizing available water resources. The process is based on several treatment stages, starting with filtration—either sand filters or ultrafiltration—to remove suspended solids. Subsequently, disinfection is carried out using hypochlorite, ozone, or ultraviolet radiation, ensuring water safety and prolonging its useful life for subsequent reuse.

When water has not undergone prior treatment, Salher offers the option of incorporating a membrane bioreactor (MBR), which combines active sludge technology and ultrafiltration for comprehensive treatment. Even if the water comes directly from untreated effluents, this approach achieves effective treatment suitable for various reuse applications.

Moreover, to avoid oversizing the treatment system—thus handling a water volume far exceeding real needs—the following measures can be adopted:

1. Separate industrial wastewater from domestic wastewater (e.g., restrooms) and stormwater intended for irrigation, since each has different contamination levels.
2. Perform a dry pre-cleaning of equipment to remove byproducts (lees and sediment) before using pressurized water.
3. Raise employee awareness and provide training on the use of clean water.

In the wine industry, applying these reuse technologies not only cuts costs associated with water consumption but also reinforces the sector’s environmental commitment. By efficiently and sustainably treating effluents, circular economy principles are promoted and water resources are protected—an essential factor for both competitiveness and social responsibility in wineries.