Dalwhinnie Distillery, Dalwhinnie

Posted by Callum Vallance-Poole, on September 20, 2024.

Dalwhinnie Distillery wastewater treatment plant

Dalwhinnie Distillery, located in the Cairngorm National Park in the Scottish Highlands, is renowned for its Highland Single Malt Whisky. The distillery, situated in the small village of Dalwhinnie, was voted “Best Distillery Tour 2017” and attracts up to 300 visitors daily during peak season. Previously, the distillery’s toilet block waste was inadequately treated by a large septic tank. To improve this, GRAF UK proposed an advanced wastewater treatment plant to ensure the effluent could safely re-enter the water cycle. The treated discharge would then be directed into a soakaway using GRAF Infiltration Tunnels.

GRAF UK designed a custom 2-line 90PE sewage treatment plant to handle peak visitor numbers. This system allows one line to be shut down during off-peak times while the other continues treating wastewater. This flexibility is perfect for the distillery, which sees lower visitor numbers in winter. The installation was carried out by contractors McKerron and Milne of Rothes, working alongside Filpumps, specialists in wastewater systems.

The installation included seven 6500L Carat tanks. The first three tanks serve as buffer tanks to store incoming sludge. The remaining four tanks use sequencing batch reactor (SBR) technology to treat the waste. SBR systems have no moving or electrical parts within the tanks, enhancing reliability. Air diffusers at the bottom of the SBR tanks pump oxygen to sustain microorganisms that break down the solids. This process allows sludge to settle at the bottom while a clear treated water zone forms at the top, ready for scheduled discharge.

The GRAF UK system provided a significant improvement in wastewater management for Dalwhinnie Distillery. The advanced treatment ensured that the effluent met environmental standards and could be safely discharged. The project, despite being lengthy and complex, received continuous support from GRAF UK, ensuring a smooth installation and commissioning process.

Syd Ross, Water and Wastewater Specialist at Filpumps, praised GRAF UK’s support throughout the project: “GRAF UK were very helpful from the start. It was a long, drawn-out project during which I was well supported. When I needed information, such as the design and drawings for the air hoses, these were provided clearly. The installers and I received prompt support for any technical questions during the commissioning of the 2-line system.”

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