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Wool scouring in Australia originated from the 19th century. In an attempt to reduce the amount of dirt in Australian wool prior to export, farmers would dam creeks, and drive mobs of sheep into the creek. Wool would then be wrung out by hand. This practice of 'brook-washing' was quite unsuccessful, as grease inherent in wool would retain dirt particles, and cold water could not remove the grease. Historians of the time described the practise as 'marginally more intelligent than milking a cow by having one person hold the teats, while four more lift the animal up and down'. The process took a significant step forward when warm water was used in baths or tanks, and it took an even bigger step forward when shorn wool, instead of full-wool sheep were used. Over time, the process was mechanised, and detergents and other technologies introduced to the process. Wool scouring is now the first step in the wool processing industry, and the basic function of scouring is to remove dirt, wool grease (lanolin), suint (sheep sweat) and some organic matter from the wool. Wool scouring plants were one of the earliest polluting industries in Australia. Untreated wastewater from scouring has a number of environmental issues, including a detergent loading, high nutrient content and very high Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD). Initially, scouring plants had only the objective of washing wool, and wastewater was not viewed as an issue. Treatment of wastewater to alleviate the load on the environment became a priority in the 20th century, as pressure was placed on industry to 'lift it's game'. These views are being replaced by the notion that all by-products from the scouring industry are a valuable resource, with inherent economic and environmental gains to be made from intelligent use of the by-products.
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Copyright © 2000 Goulburn Wool Scour
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