Axius Experts Deliver Complete Water Treatment Solution for Commercial Fish Farm 

Delivering delicious protein to North American dinner plates in a way that respects the water cycle – and with the lowest greenhouse gas emissions possible – is the mission of one producer of sustainably farmed salmon. Growing salmon from eggs to maturity requires large volumes of high-quality water, as does harvesting and preparing the filets for distribution.  

As part of the construction of its new large-scale facility, a U.S. commercial fish farm was adamant that precious groundwater from its well field supply be reused in the process, while keeping fish intended for human consumption healthy and free from contaminants, including nitrates.  

The farm also needed to meet low nitrogen and suspended solids effluent limits for the discharge of process water into a nearby river. 

“Our process experts in biology and chemistry come together to develop unique solutions that remove more contaminants and clean more water across the water cycle,” says Ellen Gaby, Chief Commercial Officer of Axius Water, the global nutrient management platform built by XPV Water Partners and KKR.  

“Our experienced team of companies was suited to helping the farm address these challenges.” 

Read More >> How XPV Water Partners and KKR partnered to help solve one of the world’s most pressing water challenges  

The fish farm’s design-build contractor initially approached Axius platform company EDI to evaluate sequencing batch reactor (SBR) options. As the team learned more about the application and the project goals, the solution evolved. Initially, it began as an oxidation ditch with fixed grids and eventually became a moving bed bioreactor (MBBR) with other accompanying technologies to address application and site-specific needs. 

Leveraging the platform’s expertise 

Reducing Total Nitrogen from the fish growing cycle required the use of supplemental carbon in the denitrification process to meet the low nitrogen discharge limits. Technical experts at EDI, EOSi, and Nexom (now armed with MITA technology via ATAC), recognized that integrating these treatment processes would provide the optimal solution for the unique demands of this facility. 

Together, these complex biological, physical, and chemical technologies created a complete, robust package to achieve the fish farm’s water-treatment needs. Each day, the design of this novel reuse and wastewater treatment process removes: 

• 2,968 kilograms biological oxygen demand (BOD) 
• 1,115 kilograms of total suspended solids (TSS) 
• 131 kilograms of total amount of ammonia and nitrogen (TKN)
• 1,226 kilograms of total nitrogen. 

Collaboration between Axius companies provided a bespoke solution to meet the end user’s requirements; no other comparable and equally comprehensive technology could achieve the same results. 

“We regularly expand our portfolio of operating companies to encourage synergy and give our customers and end users stronger tools and deep application expertise to achieve desired treatment functionality,” says Chris McIntire, CEO of Axius. “We strive to be a reliable, trustworthy resource for our customers. They can count on our companies to discuss their challenges, explore all options, and recommend the most effective and sustainable solutions.” 

Meet the Axius Water platform companies at WEFTEC 2023 at Booth 1042.  

Read More >> Download the complete Axius Water 2022 Sustainability Overview.