An apparatus for reclaiming hot process water from a animal processing facility includes a screen portion, a filtration portion and optionally a UV sterilization portion. The screen portion receives dirty hot process water and removes macroscopic debris to produce raw tank water. Raw tank water is pumped through the filtration portion at relatively high pressure in order to remove substantially all solids to produce a permeate side stream. The permeate is optionally passed through a very intense ultra-violet field in order to produce uncontaminated reclaimed hot process water which may be safely reintroduced as hot scald water for the poultry cleaning process.