Challenges of Permitting a
Large Food Processing
Company
Gene Bennett
City of Everett, WA
PNPC
September 13, 2007
Company Profile
• 1981 - Founded by Kevin Fortun in to
supply local restaurants with fresh
soups
• 1989 - Recognized by Inc Magazine as
one of the 500 Fastest Growing Private
Companies (306th)
• 1998 - Purchased by Campbell Soup
Company
Company Profile
• 2000 - Opened Woodinville facility
• 2005 - Broke ground on $80 M Everett
culinary campus, expanding production
capacity by 50%
• March 2007 - Started production at new
facility
• April 15, 2007 - Completed move to new
facility
Why the move?
• Brightwater plant
• Public perception
• King County desired property
• Chance to expand
• Modernize facility
Why stay in area?
• $$$
• Maintain trained staff
• Keep valued local suppliers
Why Everett?
• We had the room and capacity
• 18 acres ready for development
• Organic load and flow capacity
• Excellent transportation access
• Industry-friendly administration
What’s in it for us?
• Stable industry
• $$$
• Estimated surcharge fees ~$1300/day
• BOD $900
• TSS $250
• FOG $100
• Flow $50
What were our challenges?
• In short, nearly none
• Failed to start sampling when they started
production
• pH control system
Operation
• Initial production rate 68,000,000 #/yr
• Full capacity 90,000,000 #/yr
• All produced by 320 production
employees on 3 shift, 7 days per week
schedule in 168,000 ft2 of production
and storage space
Wastewater Sources
• Sanitary - separate system from
production wastewater
• Floor cleaning
• All floor drains have strainers
• CIP
• Automated cooker cleaning system
• Uses high/low pH chemicals, quaternary
ammonia and chlorine base cleaners
Wastewater Sources
• Bulk load area
• Dairy
• Fuel oil
• Spiral chillers
Wastewater Characteristics
Parameter Average Maximum
Flow Rate
228,778 264,979
(GPD)
BOD5 (mg/L) 1,500 3,500
TSS (mg/L) 1,000 2,200
FOG (mg/L) 200 400
Wastewater Limitations
• Instantaneous Flow - 663 GPM
• Daily Process Flow - 265,000 GPD
• pH Minimum - 5.0 s.u.
• pH Maximum - 11.0 s.u.
• BOD5 - 250 mg/L1
• TSS - 250 mg/L1
• FOG(T) - 50 mg/L1
• 1- surcharge level
Waste Treatment
• Lift station
• 6000 gallon wetwell
• 2 - 400 GPM pumps
• Rotary screen
• 0.020” slots
• Continuous - 400 GPM
• Intermittent - 800 GPM
Waste Treatment
• Grease Interceptor
• 5400 gallon
• pH control
• 4800 gallon
• Submersible propeller mixer
• 2300 GPM capacity
• NaOH and H2SO4 bulk tanks
• Monitoring station
• XL 60º Trapezoidal flume
What Didn’t Work?
• pH control system couldn’t keep up
• CIP system caused large, rapid swings in
pH
• Most excursions on the high side
Why Didn’t It Work?
• Adequate H2SO4 pump capacity, but
just barely
• Inadequate mixing capacity
pH Control Changes
• Reconfigure tank inlet/outlet
• Relocate pH probe in tank
• Increase H2SO4 pump capacity
• Change mixer
• Top-mounted impeller style
• 9000 GPM capacity
• Better axial flow
Compliance Schedule
Item Date
Engineering Report submission 8/3/07
Plans released for bid 8/10/07
Project Award 8/17/07
Plans released for construction 8/17/07
Equipment onsite 8/24/07
Construction complete 9/28/07
System testing/sign-off 10/19/07