" Bush Brothers & Company is proud to be selected by Evoqua for an award that recognizes the devotion that our people put toward creating a sustainable business, reducing our impact on the environment and improving our community. "
2020 Evoqua Water Sustainability Award
Demonstrating commitment to community, environment, and energy efficiency
Winner
Bush Brothers & Company | Chestnut Hill, Tennessee, USA
Community Impact
Bush Brothers & Company, America's largest manufacturer of prepared beans, has been recognized for Evoqua's annual Water Sustainability Award after demonstrating multiple noteworthy improvements in its water sustainability efforts. The family owned business has been operating in the small community of Chestnut Hill, Tennessee for more than 110 years, and consistently aims to reduce its impact on the community. For example, when the area was facing water scarcity and drought concerns, Bush Brother's & Company took action to lessen their facility's strain on limited water resources through a two-phase water reuse project.
BUSH'S® Process Water Reuse Facility currently receives and biologically treats wastewater generated from bean rehydration & cleaning, batching of sauces, and plant sanitation operations. The overall system design incorporates sustainability benefits that are highlighted by waste bean solids captured and used for cattle feed, use of anaerobic biogas as boiler fuel, land irrigation of treated water to replenish the water table, and reuse of treated water for non-food contact utility applications. The primary treatment plant operation utilizes multiple Evoqua dissolved air flotation units and the water reuse design utilized Evoqua reverse osmosis units prior to final reuse at utility applications. The technologies and methods currently operating at the Bush Brothers & Company facility are a case study for water intensive industry to maximize reuse and minimize environmental footprint.
Each year, the award is given to celebrate World Water Day, which occurs annually on March 22. Evoqua employees nominate sustainable companies from its 38,000-customer base for exhibiting excellent water stewardship and demonstrating sustainable efforts in their strategies around community impact, water and energy efficiency and environmental protection. We are excited to celebrate the 2020 Evoqua Water Sustainability Award winner, Bush Brothers & Company, at the New York Stock Exchange later this year. When businesses and communities work together, we can develop solutions to the world’s most pressing water issues.
> Read about a past project we worked on with Bush Brothers & Company and discover how they leveraged the ADI-BVF® reactor to turn process wastewater into electricity.
Finalist
Bellefonte Borough Authority Treatment Plant | Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, USA
Environmental Protection
Bellefonte Borough Authority (BBA) Wastewater Treatment Plant is located in a small community in Central Pennsylvania about 12 miles northeast of State College, home to the Penn State University Nittany Lions. Despite its relative location to this esteemed institute, BBA is recognized for its natural resources. The Spring Creek, a Class A Trout Stream renowned for its dense population of Wild Brown Trout1 runs through the heart of Centre County. Due to the sensitivity of the fish and wildlife coupled to growth in the region, BBA sought to lessen their impacts on the stream through a reduction in discharge pollutants all the while accounting for an increase in capacity. In partnership with Evoqua and Nittany Engineering & Associates (a division of Century Engineering Inc.) the plant drastically improved its abilities to protect the fish and wildlife in the area for the years to come through this improved discharge water quality.
Additional benefits of the project include an improvement in the quality of biosolids used to fertilize local crops, a reduction in odors emitted, a reduction in chemical usage, and improved energy efficiency. We are proud to have BBA as a finalist for our 2020 Evoqua Water Sustainability Award as a municipality working to ensure a more sustainable future for its citizens and local environment.
> Learn more about the BioMag® system selected for this project.
BBA lessened its impact, for today and tomorrow, on the stream through a reduction in discharge pollutants
Finalist
Austin Energy | Austin, TX
Energy Efficiency
District cooling is a system to provide chilled water for HVAC requirements by pumping chilled water through a network of underground pipes from centralized facilities. This system provides operational reliability, flexibility, is cost effective and enhances property value.2 Austin Energy provides district cooling for various areas throughout Austin with their water-cooled chiller system.
To improve the energy efficiency of the district cooling system, Austin Energy partnered with Evoqua to improve the quality of water circulating through the cooling towers at their large Domain District Cooling Plant.
By the Numbers
%
Improved cooling system energy efficiency
%
Water savings versus other media filtration technologies
million
Gallons per year of water savings
We are proud to have Austin Energy as a finalist for our 2020 Evoqua Water Sustainability Award as a customer working to increase energy and water efficiency, which reduces the strain on water resources.
> Learn more about the Vortisand® filtration system selected for this project.
1 https://happyvalley.com/member/spring-creek/
2 https://austinenergy.com/ae/commercial/commercial-services/on-site-energy-systems/district-cooling