Total Phosphorus Monitoring

Dairy Crest use MicroMac C

Dairy Crest's Davidstow site operates a sophisticated effluent treatment plant to ensure that the local aquatic environment is protected. The treatment plant has been upgraded to keep pace with the expansion of the factory and a number of our monitoring instruments have been employed to make the operation of the plant as efficient as possible. During 2011, the Environment Agency approached Dairy Crest to negotiate a reduction in the discharge consent for Total Phosphorus. This reduction is necessary due to the sensitivity of being close to the source of the River Inny, a tributary of the River Tamar. To achieve this reduction in Total Phosphorus, Dairy Crest invested in a Ferric Dosing system which succeeded in meeting the 1 mg/l limit.

Due to the variable nature of effluent treatment, Dairy Crest felt that an on-line analyser was necessary to provide continuous monitoring. The presence on site of many Partech products and our reputation for supplying robust, reliable solutions made it a logical step to approach us for the Total Phosphorus analyser.

Following a detailed site survey and discussion of the requirements, we proposed a MicroMac C analyser equipped with the ability to analyse Total Phosphorus. To accommodate the nature of the plant, the analyser is supplemented by sample preparation equipment that allows two monitoring points, this allows the plant operators to assess which parts of the treatment system are operating correctly and which need further attention. This allows cost savings in terms of manpower and dosing chemical usage. The sample preparation package we supplied along with the analyser has been designed to be effective in a wide range of applications. It is capable of handling samples that are heavily contaminated with solids as well as the cleaner effluent experienced at Davidstow.

As an additional service to Dairy Crest, we provided a temporary analyser while the full installation was being prepared. This portable package is available to hire for short term investigative work as well as being an backup to permanent installations. The hire package is supported by deployment and retrieval by Partech engineers and we provide a data reporting service when required.

The analyser is operating successfully and will be maintained as part of a comprehensive service package offered by Partech.