Compact Anaerobic/Aerobic Wastewater Treatment At The Minguet ET Thomas Recycle Paper Mill In France, 1992 Environmental Conference Proceedings

The Minguet & Thomas papermill is located north of Paris and belongs to the OTOR group.

The mill produces approximately 48,000 tons per year of corrugating medium and testliner, using 100% recycled paper as its fiber source. In the near future, production capacity will be increased from 140 tpd to about 200 tpd.

The wastewater produced by the mill averages about 9.0 m 3 per ton of product with a COD strength of 3,200 mg/l. Fresh water is taken from a very small river located nearby which had also been receiving effluent from the mill after only primary clarification.

New effluent discharge limits of 180 mg/l COD and 30 mg/l BOD required that a biological wastewater treatment plant be built in 1990. The treatment facility was commissioned in April 1991 and met the discharge limits after only three weeks of operation. Since then, COD and BOD removal efficiencies of 95% and 99% respectively have been maintained.

The wastewater treatment plant has been built in a very compact manner and includes an anaerobic pretreatment step using the BIOPAQ UASB technology followed by a small activated sludge plant for effluent polishing. The paper describes the plant in detail, presents the result of the first year of operations and includes information on plant capital and operating costs.