The U.S. Poultry & Egg Assn. (USPOULTRY) announced that it is releasing a new video series highlighting companies with exemplary performance at water reclamation facilities serving the poultry industry. The first video in the series features one of USPOULTRY’s Clean Water Award winners, Simmons Foods Inc. of Southwest City, Mo.

Simmons Foods’ Southwest City Complex processes and treats an average wastewater flow of 2.28 million gal. per day. The facility currently converts dissolved air flotation (DAF) skimmings into a valuable ingredient that is used in the production of high-fat, high-protein, high-value cattle feed. This process allows more than 130 million lb. of material to be recycled into the food chain each year rather than being land applied.

The Southwest City Complex rendering facility also utilizes roughly 5,000 boiler horse power of thermal oxidizing technology to reduce odor emissions. The thermal oxidizers are a European technology, with Simmons Foods being the first to use this technology at a rending plant in the U.S. One highlight of the operation is the facility’s water reuse program. The Southwest City Complex recycles between 300,000 and 350,000 gal. per day, or 18% of the total flow, of treated effluent for use at the complex. The recycled water has greatly reduced the volume Simmons Foods pumps from the Gasconade aquifer. The facility has been recycling its treated effluent since 1996, with the total volume of recycled water equaling approximately 2 billion gal.

“Our company strives to ensure that we exercise the best environmental management practices possible,” Simmons Foods’ chairman Mark Simmons said.

USPOULTRY president  John Starkey said, “USPOULTRY and our members realize the importance of exemplary environmental stewardship by recognizing excellence in environmental programs at our member companies. We are pleased to be able to provide a video series that highlights how our member companies achieve this.”

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