Poultry plant WWTP serves broiler and turkey processing facilities. Turkey is a top global poultry producer with billions of birds processed annually — poultry WWTP is a major engineering field.
Poultry effluent: BOD 1,000-3,000 mg/L, COD 2,000-7,000 mg/L, FOG 200-800 mg/L, total nitrogen 200-600 mg/L (high!), total phosphorus 30-80 mg/L. Feathers and organ pieces require coarse screening. Water use 25-50 L/bird.
Arsistek poultry solutions: coarse screen, static sieve, DAF, anaerobic UASB, nitrification-denitrification (MBR recommended), UV disinfection. High N load demands specialized biological design.
Poultry Wastewater Composition
Five main sources: blood collection, scalding/defeathering, evisceration, cutting/portioning, CIP cleaning.
Blood is critical: 30-50 ml/bird with COD ~400,000 mg/L. Collected separately, coagulated and rendered into blood meal. Only 5% should reach effluent.
Scalding uses hot water (60°C). Effluent is hot, organic and fatty. Coarse screen (5-10 mm) at defeather outlet — feathers clog biology.
Nitrification-Denitrification
High N load (up to 600 mg/L) demands NDN configuration. Pre-anoxic tank (DN) feeds oxic tank (N).
Mixed liquor recycle from oxic to anoxic. Raw wastewater feeds anoxic for carbon. Effluent TN <15 mg/L.
MBR Advantages
MBR recommended for poultry plants:
- 50% smaller footprint
- High MLSS, long SRT (15-25 d)
- Effluent BOD <5, TSS <1 mg/L
- Pathogen retention — reduces UV demand
Beef Slaughterhouse vs Poultry
Beef and poultry effluents look similar but differ:
- Fat: Beef > Poultry
- Nitrogen: Poultry > Beef (high-N feathers)
- Feather load: Poultry-specific, requires coarse screen
- Water use: Poultry 50 L/bird, Beef 800-1500 L/head
- Pathogens: Salmonella risk higher in poultry
Design differs: poultry prioritizes N-removal + feather screen; beef prioritizes DAF + oil separation.
Poultry Plant Advantages
Poultry Plant References
8 images coming soon — stay tuned for our reference projects and facility photos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Blood COD ~400,000 mg/L. If it reaches the effluent, treatment load increases 10x. Collected blood is rendered into blood meal (animal feed) selling for 200-400 USD/ton.
Effluent passes through 5-10 mm coarse screen then 0.5-1 mm static sieve. Captured feathers go to disposal or rendering (feather meal).
Slaughterhouse TN limit 60 mg/L. Raw poultry TN up to 600, so 90%+ removal needed. Only achievable with NDN design.
MBR high MLSS (10,000-12,000 mg/L) allows long SRT (20+ d) for slow-growing nitrifiers. Membrane effluent is pathogen-free, reducing UV demand.
Yes. UV (40 mJ/cm²) or chlorine (1-3 mg/L residual) achieves 4-log inactivation. MBR membrane already retains bacteria.
Yes. UF+RO treated water reused for plant exterior wash, cooling tower makeup, auxiliary processes. Cannot return to food line (hygiene). 30-50% water savings.