Pulmuone
Client: Pulmuone Foods
From permitting through commissioning, Tomorrow Water delivered a compact, turnkey wastewater treatment solution, treating 300,000 GPD of high-strength food processing wastewater within a severely constrained footprint while meeting permit limits and reducing long-term discharge costs.
Location:
Fullerton, CA
Project:
Manufacturing Facility
Application:
Tofu Processing Wastewater Treatment System
Year Start:
2021
Scope of Services:
Turnkey EPC, Engineering, Equipment Supply, Construction & Installation, Discharge & Construction Permits, O&M Contract and services
Executive Summary
Pulmuone Foods USA expanded its Fullerton, California manufacturing facility by 100,000 square feet, effectively doubling tofu production capacity and generating approximately 300,000 gallons per day (GPD) of high-strength food processing wastewater. Prior to the expansion, the facility incurred over $1 million annually in sewer discharge fees, with projected costs escalating to $4 million per year under minimal pretreatment. Compounding the challenge, the site lacked available space for a conventional wastewater treatment plant. Pulmuone required a compact, cost-effective, and fully compliant treatment solution delivered with minimal disruption to ongoing manufacturing operations.
Tomorrow Water Actions and Scope
Tomorrow Water provided a turnkey wastewater treatment solution encompassing permitting, process engineering, equipment supply, construction, and commissioning. To overcome space constraints, Tomorrow Water ingeniously converted the footprint of six existing shipping docks into a fully functional wastewater treatment facility without expanding the building envelope.
The engineered treatment system integrates mechanical screening, Moving Bed Biological Reactors (MBBR) for high-rate biological treatment, Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) for solids separation, and sludge dewatering via screw press. The system was designed for stable operation under variable loading conditions while minimizing operator burden and maintenance requirements. Project execution was closely aligned with Pulmuone’s production schedule to limit downtime and accelerate the transition to full operation.
Conclusion
Tomorrow Water’s compact, high-performance wastewater treatment solution enabled Pulmuone Foods USA to achieve regulatory compliance while dramatically reducing sewer discharge costs and operational risk. The project demonstrates how innovative layout, proven biological processes, and integrated delivery can transform constrained industrial sites into efficient, compliant wastewater treatment facilities supporting long-term production growth and sustainable operations in the food processing industry.
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