POET gets OK to replace fresh water with storm water at Mitchell plant

In South Dakota, the POET Mitchell biorefinery received approval last week from the South Dakota DENR Water Management Board to use storm water from three nearby POET retention ponds in its process of producing ethanol. The plant already has POET’s Total Water Recovery System, which has cut water use at the plant by 100,000 gallons per day. The new storm water recovery system will save an additional 210 gallons per minute gallons of water or approximately 100 million gallons per year.

“The efficiency gains at this plant just over the past year are phenomenal. This plant is now one of the most innovative in the world in terms of water use,” General Manager Dean Frederickson said. “Water use is an important issue for our world, and it’s been a priority for POET for some time.”