French Road Cellars
Overview
French Road Cellars is a custom-crush winery that makes a wide variety of wines and ciders on the Leelanau Peninsula. The facility is linked to Chateau Fontaine but produces for several other wine labels.
Challenge
The winery’s process water went to an old septic tank followed by two bottomless tanks that were used to disperse their effluent. They had clogged and were overflowing. They had no room for a formal leach field and did not know what to do.
Solution
SludgeHammer™ was engaged to install Aerobic Bacterial Generator (ABG) equipment to improve the wastewater quality. The percolation pits were recovered quickly and the system was no longer overflowing. But, Department of Environmental Quality did not agree that discharging the remaining high strength wastewater directly into the soil would satisfy the mandate.
Results
SludgeHammer™ worked closely with DEQ to design a scaled up system that vastly improved the effluent quality. An alternative disposal was discovered and approved by the DEQ as a result of the SludgeHammer™ design which continues in healthy operation today.
