UPGRADE OF A TEXTILE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT WITH ADVANCED BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT, MBR AND REVERSE OSMOSIS
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Over the years,PT Godiva Astrea Textilehas been running the conventional physio-chemical plant with high running cost and with high sludge production.
In 2025 WaterNext completed the upgrade of the industrial wastewater treatment plant serving the Godiva textile manufacturing facility in Indonesia, as part of a strategic initiative aimed at enhancing treatment capacity and introducing an advanced water recovery solution.
The project was developed to support the continuous evolution of the facility, ensuring operational continuity, process reliability, and alignment with the highest environmental and production standards of the textile industry.
Here, water is not only a wastewater stream to be treated, but a resource to be managed.
With a treatment capacity of 2.500 m³/day and an influent COD of 1.400 mg/L, the system is designed to efficiently manage wastewater streams typical of high-organic-load textile processes, requiring advanced technology, precise control, and long-term process stability.
PROJECT CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVES
In the textile sector, wastewater management plays a strategic role in ensuring sustainable and efficient production.
The expansion of production capacity has led to increased wastewater volumes and variable loads, requiring advanced and robust treatment solutions.
Within this framework, the Godiva facility embarked on a structured upgrade program with clearly defined objectives:
- Significantly enhance organic load removal efficiency;
- Ensure consistently high and controlled effluent quality;
- Enable the recovery and reuse of a substantial portion of the treated water;
- Reduce the volume of wastewater discharged;
- Optimize long-term operational efficiency and costs;
- Increase the overall volume of water effectively treated.
PROPOSED SOLUTION AND PROCESS DESCRIPTION
The solution developed by WaterNext is based on an advanced wastewater treatment plant, integrating biological treatment with MBR (Membrane Bio Reactor) technology and a multi-stage reverse osmosis system, specifically engineered to meet the operational and sustainability goals of the textile industry.
Each process section contributes to the overall efficiency, reliability, and robustness of the system:
- Initial screening: removal of coarse solids to protect downstream equipment and ensure smooth operation;
- Lifting station: controlled hydraulic management to maintain stable flow conditions;
- Equalization and homogenization: balancing of flow and organic load to provide consistent process conditions;
- Neutralization: precise pH adjustment to optimize biological performance;
- Cooling tower: wastewater temperature control to support biological stability;
- Oxidation section: the core of the biological process, where organic matter degradation takes place;
- MBR system: integration of biological treatment and membrane filtration to ensure effluent quality, continuity, and control;
- Reverse osmosis system: designed and supplied by WaterNext, enabling 70% water recovery for industrial reuse.
MBR: A KEY TECHNOLOGY FOR STABILITY AND RELIABILITY
In the Godiva project,Advacned Biological and MBRtechnology represents a cornerstone of process performance and operational reliability.
Membrane filtration ensures complete separation of suspended solids, allowing operation at high biomass concentrations and delivering a consistently high-quality effluent.
Key advantages of the MBR system include:
- High efficiency in organic load removal;
- Stable performance under variable operating conditions;
- Compact footprint, ideal for plant upgrades;
- Effective protection of the downstream reverse osmosis system;
- Enhanced operational safety and control.
Within the Godiva facility, the MBR system plays a central role in ensuring process continuity, quality assurance, and long-term operational confidence.
AUTOMATION AND OPERATIONAL COST OPTIMIZATION
The upgraded plant is characterized by a high level of automation, enabling continuous monitoring of key process parameters and dynamic optimization of operating conditions.
This approach delivers:
- Reduced energy consumption;
- Minimized manual interventions;
- Enhanced long-term reliability;
- A measurable reduction in operational costs.
Technology thus acts as a constant and reliable partner, supporting efficiency and stability on a daily basis.
INLET AND OUTLET PARAMETERS
- Plant inlet: COD 1.400 mg/L
- After biological treatment and MBR: COD < 200 mg/L
- Reverse osmosis system (70% recovery):
- Permeate: 1.750 m³/day – COD nil
- Reject of the RO is treated and discharged under all permissible limits of local standards : 750 m³/day
The permeate produced is suitable for industrial reuse, significantly reducing freshwater demand.
RESULTS AND BENEFITS
The upgrade of the Godiva wastewater treatment plant delivered tangible and strategic benefits:
- Significant reduction of organic load;
- 70% recovery of treated water;
- Enhanced process stability and reliability;
- Reduced freshwater consumption;
- Full compliance with environmental standards;
- Optimized operational costs;
- Improved long-term process control;
- NO toxic sludge generation;
- LOW operating cost.
CONCLUSIONS
The Godiva project demonstrates how a strategic technological upgrade, based on MBR, reverse osmosis, and advanced automation, can support industrial growth while strengthening environmental performance.
An intervention that goes beyond wastewater treatment, contributing to the responsible management of a critical resource and reinforcing the commitment of the textile industry to sustainability, resilience, and operational excellence.
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