Advancing circular water management in dairy production

Turning process water into a valuable resource

At a Nordic dairy production facility, AFRY is helping transform water originating from milk into a valuable resource – reducing both freshwater consumption and wastewater volumes while maintaining the stringent hygiene standards required in dairy production.

At the facility, milk is processed and concentrated before being dried into milk powder. Concentration primarily takes place through evaporation, while reverse osmosis (RO) is used as part of the process to further concentrate the milk.

Rather than treating the water separated during this process as a waste stream, the dairy producer partnered with AFRY to develop a solution for recovering, treating and reusing it within the facility.

From process water to a reusable resource

AFRY has supported the dairy producer throughout the project, from concept development and design to implementation.

The solution recovers water separated from the milk during the concentration process and uses reverse osmosis (RO) as part of the treatment process to further purify the recovered water. Additional treatment steps, including polishing, UV disinfection and cooling, ensure that the water meets the required quality. The treated water is then stored under hygienic conditions and reused for suitable applications within the production facility, such as cleaning and flushing operations.

To meet the dairy industry's stringent hygiene requirements, the entire system has been designed according to sanitary standards and is fully Clean-in-Place (CIP) capable.

Since implementation began in 2024, the recovered water has consistently met the quality requirements needed for critical cleaning applications, including final rinsing processes.

Cutting freshwater consumption by up to 50 percent

Once fully implemented, the solution is expected to reduce freshwater demand at the facility by up to 50 percent.

In addition to reducing reliance on groundwater resources, the system also decreases the volume of wastewater generated at the site.

Supporting a more resilient food industry

The project demonstrates how innovative engineering solutions can help food producers transition towards a more circular approach to resource management. By capturing the value of water already present in production processes, the dairy producer is reducing environmental impact while strengthening long-term operational sustainability.