Round Table Brewery, a newcomer to the craft brewing sector, has already caught out collective attention for its commitment to sustainability. The Garnerville, New York-based indie brewery opened in late 2023 via owners Ricardo Petroni, Maria Jose Vasena and Javier Laurini. The brewery is in a beatiful warehouse space formerly occupied by Industrial Arts Brewing Co. — another great Hudson Valley craft brewery — right in that cool Garnerville Arts Center complex.
Behind the scenes of this new craft brewery, Round Table has implemented an innovative Econse BrüClean system to address its unique wastewater challenges. This cutting-edge technology is specifically designed for the craft brewing industry, marking a significant advancement in environmental stewardship within this sector. From this press release:
“Operating sustainably certainly isn’t the simplest choice, but in our mind it was the only choice,” says Ricardo Petroni, of Round Table Brewery. “We’re part of this community, so protecting its resources is a responsibility we take seriously. When it came to our wastewater, Econse was the perfect choice. Their system fits in the brewery, is simple to operate, and allows us to produce great beer without negatively impacting water in the region.”
The brewing process is water-intensive, often producing high-strength wastewater that can be challenging and costly to treat. Traditional methods of wastewater management can be inefficient and environmentally burdensome, posing a significant challenge for craft breweries that typically operate on a smaller scale than large industrial beer markers.
Recognizing this issue, Round Table Brewery collaborated with Econse, a company specializing in advanced water treatment solutions. Econse’s BrüClean solution treats production wastewater separately and utilizes non-potable reuse to lower the impact on the environment with sustainable business practices. The idea here is to help craft brewers treat wastewater in an affordable and responsible way. The chemical-free system cleans what’s left over from beer production so the wastewater is in spec for PH, solids, BODs and everything else.
“We designed BrüClean with small to medium sized breweries in mind,” says Derek Davy, CEO Econse. “Our compact, affordable solution treats wastewater on-site. It neutralizes pH, captures solids and reduces nutrients like phosphorous more than 90% so that they don’t impact the environment.”
Round Table Brewery is hoping for future growth, and the BrüClean System is able to grow with them. It is a scalable solution, making it ideal for startup and established craft brewers, regardless of whether they’re on a septic or municipal water system. How does it work? I highly suggest you read this excellent story from Environmental Science and Engineering Magazine by Andrew Amiri, Neil Sosebee and Derek Davy. Here’s a snippet:
The BrüClean System removes solids, yeasts, phosphorus and nitrogen from the wastewater stream by integrating several processes. An equalization tank balances out extreme spikes in pH, suspended solids and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) from brewing and cleaning operations. This provides reasonably consistent water for treatment in a proprietary multi-treatment module (MTM). The chemical-free MTM eliminates >95% of suspended solids and removes up to 60% of dissolved BOD and nutrients.
After processing in the MTM, the wastewater moves into the bio polishing unit, which combines aerobic and anaerobic biological digestion in a compact, above-ground process. Treated water can then be safely discharged or collected for reuse in the facility.
This is a pretty forward-looking community investment from Round Table Brewery, so we must give them their kudos. It also fits along with their mission statement, fostering a community gathering spot. “We chose the name Round Table Brewery because the imagery of sitting at a round table — nobody at the head, and all equal — encapsulated the type of space we want to cultivate,” according to the brewery’s webpage. Environmental stewardship is a great conversation starter when you grab some beers at Round Table Brewery. Go check them out.
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