The United States beed sugar industry produces annually in excess of 3 million tons of sugar from about 25 million tons of beets grown in 19 states. Discharge of wastes has dropped from 30 to 40 lbs BOD/ton of beets sliced to 3.15 lbs BOD/ton of beets sliced, but the total annual discharge is still 79 million pounds of BOD. Fifty-eight beet sugar factories operating in 1968-69 were studied as to waste disposal practices, amounts of water used, and water re-use practices. Main water usages are flume or transport water, process water, lime mud, condenser water, Steffan dilution water, and miscellaneous other uses. Sedimentation ponds and clarifiers are the most widely used solids separation processes, but much of the waste disposal problem is eliminated by recycling, to the extent that several of the plants studied had no effluent BOD discharges. No average waste treatment costs for the industry were presented, since such costs are subject to such a wide plant to plant variation. Needed research is outlined, and a brief description of the entire beet sugar process is presented. Current practices in several Western European countries are also presented. (Author)

Includes bibliographical references (page 77).