On-site Effluent Treatment of Wastewater from Wool Processing Facilities

During the past ten years there as been a significant decline in the amount of wool processed within the United States. From 1994 to 2003, U.S. wool mill consumption decreased by 72% and raw wool exports increased by 289.2%. The American wool industry is facing major economic changes, which include a greater dependency upon foreign markets. Increased energy and transportation costs are significantly reducing the profit margins of American wool producers as they ship their wool thousands of miles away to be processed. These costs can, however, be reduced by ensuring the sustainability and prosperity of regionally located-small to mid-sized-wool-processing facilities within the U.S. that can establish the vital link between American wool producers and American wool consumers. However, the prosperity of these wool processing facilities is being hindered by their inability to economically treat the high organic pollutant loadings from a wool mill's effluent wastewater, and also by a wool mill's dependency upon vital natural resources such as water and energy, which are often scarce in dry, rural areas. The purpose of this research is to determine if on-site treatment of wastewater from wool processing facilities can improve the economic incentives for small to mid-sized processing facilities and also reduce their dependency upon external energy and natural resources. Achieving this will give small to mid-sized facilities a competitive edge in the global market, and in turn preserve the cultural and economic identity of this vital American industry.