The analysis and research on water quality and consumption in concentrated apple juice production

Water was heavily dissipated in the process of concentrated apple juice production, and then poured as wastewater with high organic loadings. The quality and quantity of wastewater varied significantly in different production processes. Based on the investigation of several local enterprises, the quality of inlet and outlet was monitored by national standard methods in a representative factory. The results showed that new fresh water consumption and wastewater emission were 1956.8m³/d and 2614m³/d respectively with 13.05m³ new freshwater and 17.43m³ wastewater per ton concentrated apple juice. Drainage amounts of all technical units were in the following descending order: washing fruit, resin cleaning and equipment cleaning. In detail, drainage in the washing fruit made up about 40 percent of total drainage. COD in wastewater reached up to 11600mg/L at the site of resin cleaning with discharge amount about 450m³/d. These units were key aspects in the cleaning production for this enterprise. In a word, this factory have a great potential of water saving and pollutant reducing.