Scottish & Newcastle UK (S&N) are a beer-led drinks business, operating in the international brewing sector; they currently rank number seven by volume sales in the world's top ten brewers. S&N have market-leading positions in 15 countries across Europe and Asia, and are the leader in three of the six largest beer markets in Europe - the UK, France and Russia. S&N also hold key positions in developing markets within Asia and major export markets including the USA.

Due to the site's location in the heart of Manchester, the brewery's disposal route for their wastewater was to sewer. Scottish and Newcastle Royal Brewery required a solution to ever-increasing disposal and energy costs, especially one that could recognise significant savings in a small footprint.

The solution provided by VWS was a wastewater treatment plant based around a Tall Tower Anaerobic Reactor, followed by a tall tower aerobic stage and solids removal. The new plant was designed to achieve effluent of 100 mg/l COD and 30 mg/l suspended solids, resulting in significant reductions in the treated wastewater disposal costs. At the same time, the biogas produced by the Anaerobic Reactor now accounts for a small portion of their annual gas base load, which is utilised in the site boilers.

By utilising the tall tower biological reactors, the treatment plant was able to fit in the available space of 975m² without compromising the treatment capacity of the plant. The solution was therefore a complete fit with site requirements.

The VWS turnkey wastewater plant included the following process streams:

• Collection & Transfer
• Screening
• Balancing
• Divert Facilities & Storage
• Chemical Storage and Dosing
• IC Anaerobic Biological Treatment
• Circox Aerobic Biological Treatment
• Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF)
• Filtration
• Sludge Storage & Dewatering
• Odour Control