Sector
Industrial
Speyside, UK
Location
Ongoing
Date
The Summary
To prevent overloading and structural failure at Aberlour Distillery's aging onsite wastewater treatment plant, Siltbuster delivered a phased upgrade. By integrating a Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) unit and a Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR20) without adding pumping stages, our solution modernised the system, improved effluent quality, and enhanced operational safety.
The Challenge
Aberlour Distillery’s existing, aging wastewater treatment plant was becoming heavily overloaded, demanding intensive manual management to maintain compliance before discharging to a local watercourse. Key components of the facility required major refurbishment, and the downstream final biological process structure had become fragile, posing operational risks and threatening the site's efficiency.
The Solution
The Siltbuster team worked in close collaboration with the Aberlour team to implement a seamless, two-phase upgrade:
Phase 1: Installed a DAF unit immediately after the Primary Biological Section to drastically reduce suspended solids heading downstream.
Phase 2: Installed an MBBR20 after the DAF, allowing the distillery to safely decommission its aged and fragile final biological structure.
Both systems were cleverly integrated into the existing setup without requiring any additional pumping stages. Furthermore, the MBBR was initially deployed on a "try before you buy" basis, giving the site full confidence before making a permanent installation.
The Results
Decommissioned High-Risk Infrastructure
Successfully isolated and retired the old, fragile biological process structure.
Enhanced Operational Safety
Created a safer, more reliable environment for onsite operators to work around.
Improved Plant Performance
Significantly boosted treatment efficiency and lowered suspended solids.
Simplified Management
Eliminating extra pumping stages kept the system simple to operate, making daily management much easier for the distillery team.
