Continuous Monitoring Provides Regulatory Compliance at the Oettinger Brewery

Managing and controlling wastewater generated during beer production and bottling is an integral part of the production process. Wastewater is treated onsite at a purpose-built treatment facility prior to discharge into the river. To meet regulatory requirements for direct discharge, Oettinger Brewery needed reliable monitoring of its treated effluent and greater visibility into chemical oxygen demand (COD) levels.

Managing Rising Wastewater Demands

Over the years, rising demand increased onsite production, which in turn generated greater volumes of wastewater. From 1992 to 2009 alone, the volume of wastewater requiring treatment increased significantly from 1,200 m³/day to 2,700 m³/day.

During the same period, legal discharge limits for chemical oxygen demand (COD), an important indicator of organic loading in brewery wastewater, decreased from 120 mg/L to 60 mg/L. Meeting these more stringent requirements became increasingly important for protecting receiving waterways and avoiding potential fines or penalties.

Oettinger Brewery installed an onsite wastewater treatment plant and additional monitoring systems to measure COD levels within the effluent stream.

Initially, the brewery relied on daily manual sampling to monitor COD. Samples had to be sent to an external laboratory for verification, meaning results were not immediately available to plant operators. Changes or spikes in COD could therefore occur between sampling and laboratory results, limiting the brewery's ability to respond proactively to changing effluent conditions.

Moving from Manual Sampling to Online COD Monitoring

To improve the timeliness and reliability of COD data, Oettinger Brewery turned to Badger Meter for an online monitoring solution. A spectro::lyser Industrial ATEX spectrometer probe and con::cube V3 IoT terminal were selected for continuous COD monitoring at the wastewater treatment plant.

Using spectrometry to analyze water quality in near real time, the spectro::lyser provides continuous measurement of key wastewater parameters, including COD. An automatic sensor cleaning system helps maintain consistent measurements while reducing the manual maintenance associated with traditional sampling and spot checks.

Combined with the con::cube V3 terminal, the system allows operators to manage sensor cleaning, calibration and system checks while providing continuous access to measurement data. This gives the brewery greater visibility into COD conditions and supports proactive monitoring and control of the effluent stream.

Operators can establish defined limits and receive notifications when measurements fall outside those thresholds. This early warning capability allows changing COD conditions to be identified sooner so operators can take action before treated wastewater is discharged.

Improving Visibility into COD Discharge Levels

With continuous COD monitoring, Oettinger Brewery has reduced the time associated with manual sampling and its reliance on external laboratory testing for routine process monitoring.

Near real-time COD data provides operators with greater visibility into wastewater conditions and helps identify changes that may require attention. This supports more informed process control, regulatory compliance with discharge limits and proactive management of treated effluent before it reaches surrounding waterways.