TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Chobani officials say a multi-million dollar system they’ve installed at their yogurt plant here puts a manufacturing byproduct to good use, thereby reducing the company’s water consumption and demonstrating its commitment to sustainability.

For the broader community, Chobani’s new reverse osmosis system, scheduled to go on-line after Jan. 1, should address odor and other concerns stemming from the land application of that waste product, called acid whey.

Acid whey is the yellowish liquid — about 94 percent water and 6 percent high-protein solids — left over after making acidic cultured dairy products. Chobani has been working through a private company, Carney, Inc., to land apply about a quarter of the plant’s acid whey as a fertilizer on area farm fields, and to provide local dairies the remainder as a feed source. Chobani’s new high-tech filtration system uses pressure to separate the whey into pure water and a more dense feed, containing 18-20 percent solid matter.

During a Dec. 12 media tour of the plant, Marc Abjean, Chobani’s senior vice president of global engineering and project management, explained the resulting high-density feed is more desirable for dairies, and land applications will no longer be necessary.

“We are one of the first ones to do that, to concentrate the acid whey,” Abjean said.

Reverse osmosis is commonly used to purify sea water for drinking. The plant’s new system should generate about 170,000 gallons of water from acid whey each day — equal to roughly 20 percent of Chobani’s current municipal water consumption. The water will be saved to clean the plant. Abjean said the exceptional purity of the reverse osmosis water will enable Chobani to significantly cut back on rinse water and cleaning chemicals necessary when using mineral-laden city water.

Given its scope, however, the investment was driven more by “increasing the sustainability of the plant and doing the right thing” than seeking a financial return, Abjean said.

Work on the system began in May, and Chobani conducted test runs in November, Abjean said.

Hollister Mayor Richard Self said his small city owns three wells near a pond where Chobani’s acid whey has been stored for land application. He said city leaders have had a few meetings with Chobani about residents’ concerns regarding the odor, as well as fears that municipal wells could be contaminated. He said his city hasn’t been in the loop on Chobani’s new system, and he’ll remain skeptical until he sees results.

Twin Falls City Manager Travis Rothweiler said the system was “born directly out of discussions between the company and the city of Twin Falls.” In a Chobani press release, Rothweiler said the system should reduce traffic from the plant, as well as it’s reliance on the municipal water supply.”

Bob Naerebout, executive director of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association, said in the company’s press release the investment continues a long history of good environmental stewardship by Idaho’s dairy industry.

Abjean said Chobani — which launched production of a new children’s product, yogurt in pouches, on Dec. 12 — is well positioned for growth. The company receives 2.5 million pounds of milk each day and has the capacity to receive up to 6 million pounds. Abjean expects to reach the 6 million-pound mark within one to three years.