2001 AACC Annual Meeting Charlotte, North Carolina October 14-18, 2001 Charlotte Convention Center

As with all growing industries, the dry mill ethanol industry is continually reevaluating its impact on the environment and its usage of natural resources. Recently process systems have been developed that reduce environmental impacts and usage of natural resources while improving production efficiency and profitability. A process wastewater recycle system is one potential solution to these issues that also has the added benefit of reducing regulatory burdens. These recycling systems, of course, are not free from operational problems and can cause potentially serious production issues if they are not properly integrated into the overall plant design. However, with new design improvements and increased operational experience, wastewater recycle systems may one day become an industry standard for dry mill ethanol plants. The presentation will cover: overview of a Dry Mill Ethanol Production Facility, overview of the water balance (recycle vs. nonrecycle), discuss waste water recycling process, discuss the benefits and disadvantages to waste water recycling, discuss outfalls (discharge points) and federal and state regulation that may apply (possibly discuss the range of state requirements we have seen across the Midwest).