Gorman-Rupp’s Super T Series And 10 Series Wastewater Treatment Technology Deployed At Ken’s Foods’ Manufacturing Facility

What started out as a signature dish in a restaurant, more than 65 years ago, has now become a major company, with over 400 varieties of salad dressings and sauces offered.

Ken’s Foods

When Ken’s Steakhouse began in 1941, the owners were in search of a special salad and dressing to go with their steaks. The salad dressing soon rivaled the steaks in popularity and a new company was born.

Today, Ken’s Foods has grown to include plant operations in Marlborough, Massachusetts, McDonough, Georgia, and Las Vegas, Nevada. The company manufactures not only their own line of salad dressings but also produces products for notable brands such as Paul Newman’s line of dressings.

Wastewater treatment system

Ken’s Foods has always been dedicated to providing customers with high quality and safe products

Ken’s Foods has always been dedicated to providing customers with high-quality and safe products. The company knows that food safety begins at the manufacturing plant. So, when it was time to design its wastewater treatment system, in the company’s new Las Vegas plant, they looked for the best solutions.

In 2002, faced with an expansion plan that led the company to build a 185,000 square foot Las Vegas plant, the salad dressing major wanted to ensure that they had the best wastewater treatment system available, to help meet the company’s strategic priorities. Additionally, it was important to the engineering team that they incorporated a system that would maximize efficiencies while maintaining as small a footprint as possible, as space ‘saved’ in operations, is space that later can be allocated for growth and expansion.

Keeping it clean and safe

One of the critical issues to be addressed in any food manufacturing plant is sanitation. “In a typical day, we’ll get solids, entire chunks of cheese, relish, similar produces, and more into our wastewater system,” said Dave Muskopf, Vice President of Engineering for Ken’s Foods.

The company needed a system that could handle large solids dependably. Dave Muskopf adds, “These solids can create real problems when they get through the traps on the floor drains.” To address the challenge, Muskopf and his team turned to World Water Works, Inc. for guidance.

World Water Works, Inc.

World Water Works, Inc. is a globally renowned provider of complete turnkey installations, including design, build, installation, startup, and operation of water or wastewater systems.

Tailored to require as little or as much customer input as desired, World Water Works’ engineering staff is expert at developing solutions that provide long-term reliability and consistent performance.

High-performance materials and control technology

The products are constructed with state-of-the-art materials and control technology, with an emphasis on durability

The products are constructed with state-of-the-art materials and control technology, with an emphasis on durability. In the end, the company strives to design solutions for customers such as Ken’s by using a total systems approach.

Bringing their expertise in treat-ability analysis, filtration, and clarification, and combined with a complete line of water treatment products and services, the World Water Works team was prepared to deliver top-notch solutions to Ken’s Foods.

Total solutions approach

“We installed three solutions tanks at the new Ken’s plant, utilizing a batch treatment solution to wastewater,” shares Kyle Booth, Executive Vice President (EVP) at World Water Works, Inc., adding “They fill one up, start filling the other one, and then treat the one that’s full. Then, a pump will pull the wastewater from the tank and run it through the purification system to a pH adjustment tank, and down the drain.”

This efficient operation keeps Ken’s operation/management happy, as well as the local and state authorities, and customers satisfied, by maintaining strict food manufacturing safety practices.

Super T Series and 10 Series technology

Another challenge that needed to be addressed was the sheer volume of the wash down. “Because of the amount of productivity, this company handles on a day-to-day basis, the volume was an issue that needed to be factored long term,” said Kyle Booth.

World Water Works relied on The Gorman-Rupp Company’s Super T Series and 10 Series technology, to address the durability challenge. The Gorman-Rupp pumps are integrated into the total solution. “There are five self-priming, centrifugal pumps down there,” explains Kyle Booth.

Gorman-Rupp pumps installed

In the process, the first pump takes the outfall from the plant, which is pulled up from the 24-foot tank. This operation requires a lot of suction, due to the tank’s configuration. From there, the system screens the water, making it necessary that the pumping technology can handle any trash, which passes through the drain.

Next, the system pumps it into a tank, where the wastewater is separated, from as much of the free oil as possible. The operation forces the wastewater into equalization tanks, so as to regain clarity and purity in the water.

Equalization tanks

In an application like this, where we’ve got a big section working, we ask a lot of the pumps"

“When you batch treat water, you’ve basically got three equalization tanks. The first is filled up, the operator checks the water and the chemistry to see how easy or difficult it’s going to be to treat, and then adjusts the chemistry accordingly to treat the entire tank while the second and third thanks continue to fill up,” states Kyle Booth.

He adds, “In an application like this, where we’ve got a big section working, we ask a lot of the pumps. That’s one of the big reasons, why we’ve chose Gorman-Rupp.”

Ability to handle solids in demanding situations

For Kyle Booth, the equipment choice was both critical and obvious. In the end, the company relied on The Gorman-Rupp Super T Series technology for several reasons, but mainly for its ability to handle solids in demanding situations.

Because the nature of the water contaminants at Ken’s Foods’ facility include, chunks of cheese and other food products, the pumping technology had to be up to the challenge of handling very large solids reliably.

Two-vane, semi-open impeller

The two-vane, semi-open impeller allowed the technology to do so. Furthermore, with the pumps’ removable cover plates, maintenance was simple and painless, ensuring that if and when the pumps get clogged, down time would be reduced and costly delays minimized.

“There are always unexpected, unanticipated situations in any treatment plant, but with this solution and these pumps, we’ve encountered absolutely nothing that caused our operation to shut down the system, for any period of time,” stated Dave Muskopf.

World Water Works’ treatment solution

World Water Works handled the initial startup and training, but our employees run it and maintain it"

He adds, “In fact, I and the rest of the engineering team are particularly pleased with their improved ability, to monitor the system electronically via a single operator, during the treatment process. World Water Works’ solution also incorporated oversight of the operation’s setup and training. This treatment plant was a turnkey project. World Water Works handled the initial startup and training, but our employees run it and maintain it.”

It was a little bit challenging on start up just to make sure everything was set up correctly and people were communicating well, working together in the manner that was required,” confesses Kyle Booth, adding “But with a strong team and a strategic design, everything works a little more smoothly. The operator at the Ken’s plant has also done a great job.”

Dependability and safety are key parameters

To many engineers, the cost associated with treating wastewater inside a food manufacturing plant is a necessary evil, simply the cost of doing business. Still, an investment in a dependable and well-engineered treatment system can save significant money in the long run.

“If it is not treated properly you face problems, and possible fines from the EPA, and municipal water and sewer authorities,” counsels Kyle Booth, adding “It’s been our experience that trying to save money in the short term with less expensive solutions can lead to increased costs, lost time and bad publicity in the long run. And that’s never been an option for us or our customers.”