What came first, the chicken or the stench?

We often don’t think about how our food reaches our plate. Take the almighty egg for example; as much as we would like to imagine, our scrambled eggs were likely not laid by hens that freely roam lush, grassy plains and brood in quaint, handmade wooden laying houses; it wouldn’t be sustainable. Whether cage, free-range or barn, egg farming systems are the complex and sustainable method that keeps this staple food affordable and accessible.

To keep laying houses sanitary, many egg farms maintain egg processing lagoons to process wastewater. A common problem however, is that this wastewater can produce FOUL smells that can travel for kilometres!

Why so smelly?

Egg processing creates large amounts of wastewater which is contaminated with biological solids like faecal matter, feathers, shell fragments, and high protein yolks from breakage…“clean up on Aisle 9!”

The organic matter that ends up in the wastewater lagoon has an extremely high demand for dissolved oxygen and without sufficient levels, the bacteria and microorganisms do not have enough oxygen to break down the BOD.  Additionally, egg processing wastewater contains suspended solids that, without mixing, float to the surface forming a dense sludge cover, which smells like something you’ll never want to smell again.

How to remove the stench?

An increase in oxygen levels equals a decrease in odour and luckily, affordable and proven options are available to keep egg processing lagoons in good stead. A combination of heavy duty sub-surface aeration and prescribed wastewater treatments are the key. Contact an Aquatic Specialist at Water Quality Solutions to find out more on 1300 283 387.

Your Eggs Benedict will be all the more tastier knowing they originated in a clean and sanitary environment.