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Project’s context & challenges

At Schiphol Airport, KLM Catering Services (KCS) prepares meals and catering equipment for hundreds of daily KLM flights. This process includes extensive industrial dishwashing operations at two locations—KCS North and KCS Central—producing wastewater containing fats, food residues and organic matter that cannot be discharged directly into the sewer.

To ensure immediate compliance and operational continuity, KCS initially opted for a mobile rental DAF unit from the Nijhuis Saur Industries Service Center Mobile Water Solutions. What began as a temporary solution quickly evolved into a strategic, data-driven approach toward a long-term installation.

Over two years of continuous operation, the rental DAF system was monitored, optimized, and fine-tuned to match the specific wastewater characteristics of the dishwashing processes. The outcome: reliable performance, full compliance with discharge requirements, and clear proof of concept for a permanent system.

These insights formed the foundation for the next phase—a tailor-made full-scale DAF installation, commisioned and executed by Nijhuis Saur Industries.

Customer benefits

Seamless transition from temporary to permanent

Real-life performance data from the rental system allowed NSI to design a full-scale installation that perfectly matches KCS’s operational needs.

Consistent compliance

Both the mobile and permanent DAF installations meet all applicable local discharge regulations, ensuring reliable day-to-day operations.

Reduced pollution load units (PLU)

Optimized pre-treatment significantly lowers the pollution load, contributing to long-term cost efficiency.

Operational continuity

With chemical supply, service, and maintenance provided by NSI, KCS can focus on its core activities while securing stable wastewater treatment performance

Future-proof efficiency

Automated controls, optimized chemistry, and a fit-for-purpose design ensure sustainable treatment with minimal operator involvement.

Solution

Following the successful rental phase, Nijhuis Saur Industries delivered a permanent DAF system engineered to ensure fast, efficient, and stable treatment of wastewater from the industrial dishwashing lines.

The installation incorporates all lessons learned from two years of real operational data:

  • Optimized hydraulic and flotation design for dishwashing wastewater

  • Automated control of chemical dosing and process stability

  • High-efficiency removal of fats, food residues, and organic matter

  • Compact layout suitable for the space constraints of Schiphol Airport operations

  • Integrated service and chemical supply for long-term reliability

This full-scale solution ensures:

  • stable treatment performance,

  • reduced operational dependencies,

  • ongoing compliance with stringent discharge standards, and

  • predictable long-term operating costs.

NSI and KCS: A flexible, step-by-step approach to sustainable water treatment

This project exemplifies how Nijhuis Saur Industries leverages the synergy of its group capabilities—temporary rental solutions, engineering, chemical management, and service—to support customers from the first urgent need to a fully engineered permanent installation.

The collaboration with KCS delivered:

  • full compliance with all discharge regulations

  • significant PLU reduction, improving cost control

  • a sustainable, future-proof treatment process

  • a long-term partnership built on operational data, trust, and continuous improvement