Skip to Main Content
logo
Worker in safety gear adjusts round diffusers on large pipe system.Worker in safety gear adjusts round diffusers on large pipe system.

Eliminating odors from cheese processing wastewater 

Bel Brands, one of the world’s largest cheese manufacturers, sought to swiftly eliminate hydrogen sulfide odors from the company’s processing effluent. 

Client

Bel Brands USA

Location

Brookings, South Dakota

Connect with an expert

Maltby_Charles2.jpg
Charles Maltby
Management Specialist

Fast-tracking an odor control solution for sustainable cheese production 

Bel Brands partnered with CDM Smith to design and build a treatment system that eliminates downstream odor issues and meets strict discharge limits, all within an accelerated five-month timeframe before the onset of South Dakota's winter. 

Designing oxidation-based treatment 

Engineers developed a sulfide oxidation system to remove hydrogen sulfide odors efficiently and cost-effectively. 

Testing optimal system parameters 

Bench-scale trials determined the ideal air flow, retention time and tank size to achieve complete oxidation results. 

Delivering fast-tracked construction 

A design-build approach allowed the team and its local partners to complete design and construction in just five months.

Achieving odor-free operations 

The 81,250-gallon oxidation tank requires less than 5 hours to fully eliminate odors before discharging the effluent. 

The new oxidation system processes high-strength wastewater while maintaining less than 5 ppm hydrogen sulfide in the sewer, meeting Bel Brands’ goals for efficiency and environmental stewardship. By avoiding the use of chemicals or offsite disposal, the system minimizes long-term operating costs and environmental impact. Completed under a demanding schedule, the project showcases the power of collaboration and design-build delivery in achieving swift, sustainable industrial solutions. 

Curious to learn more? 

Connect with an expert to find out how we delivered this project.

Maltby_Charles2.jpg

Charles Maltby

Management Specialist

Charles is a management specialist with extensive experience in the water and construction sectors.

See more of our work in the industrial sector

Industrial water treatment facility with frothy liquid and clear blue sky.
Caldwell, Idaho

Meeting zero liquid discharge goals for a potato processing powerhouse

Interior of a large industrial facility with conveyor belts and ventilation ducts.
Lafayette, Indiana

Active plant retrofit in record time 

Aerial view of a water treatment plant with circular tanks and frothy water surface, set against a backdrop of fields and mountains.
Casa Grande, Arizona

Frito-Lay’s path to net-zero operations