High-solids (HS) and low-solids (LS) potato process effluents were tested as substrates for surfactin production. Tests used effluents diluted 1:10, unamended and amended with trace minerals or corn steep liquor. Heat pretreatment was necessary for surfactin production from effluents due to indigenous bacteria, whose spores remained after autoclaving. Surfactin production from LS surpassed HS in all cases. Surfactin yields from LS were 66% lower than from a pure culture in an optimized potato starch medium. LS could potentially be used without sterilization for surfactin production for low-value applications such as environmental remediation or oil recovery.