The treatment of brewery wastewater for reuse: State of the art

The beer brewing process often generates large amounts of wastewater effluent and solid wastes that must be disposed off or treated in the least costly and safest way so as to meet the strict discharge regulations that are set by government entities to protect life (both human and animal) and the environment. It is widely estimated that for every one liter of beer that is brewed, close to ten liters of water is used; mostly for the brewing, rinsing, and cooling processes. Thereafter, this water must be disposed off or safely treated for reuse, which is often costly and problematic for most breweries. As a result, many brewers are today searching for: (1) ways to cut down on this water usage during the beer brewing process, and/or (2) means to cost-effectively and safely treat the brewery wastewater for reuse. Based on the available documented literature, this paper provides a review assessment of the current status of the brewery wastewater treatment processes including potential applications for reuse. Key challenges for both brewery wastewater treatment and reuse are also discussed in the paper and include recommendations for future developments.