How brewers can improve efficiency through water technology
With water being such a scarce resource, industries must reconsider the volumes of water they use for business operations. According to this article, industries use 8 percent of South Africa’s water. Although it does not come close to the 62 percent of water used by agriculture, cutting back can make a positive impact on the environment and your business.
Being efficient, and finding the right water technologies is extremely important – especially for industries which are dependent on water – such as breweries. With the correct water technology, your brewery can lower the cost of water consumption, help you met corporate social responsibility (CSR) requirements, improve sustainability and attract new customers.
Now that you know the importance of being water savvy, you might be wondering what are these new and improved water technologies, and how do I go about implementing them? Well, there are water treatment experts who can help you improve water efficiency in your brewery. But before that, read below on how your brewery can embrace water treatments.
Consider going green
The earth is covered by 70 percent of water. But only a small 2.5 percent of that water is accessible drinking water. This very fact has urged many businesses to implement eco-friendly manufacturing processes. With access to new and improved water treatment services and technology, there is no excuse why your business shouldn’t be sustainable.
Going green helps you save money and protect the environment. For your business to become environmentally conscious, you will need to consider a number of things such as your energy consumption, wastage, recycling and the amount of paper and plastic you use.
If businesses continuously find ways to take care of the environment and its resources, businesses will be able to make use of natural resources without dealing with shortages.
And in cases where you can’t lower your consumption, you can recycle. For example, you can recycle the byproduct from the malting and lautering process in your brewery. The used grains and yeast solids can be given to dairy farms as they will use it to feed their cows.
Find alternative water sources
As the demand for manufactured products increase, so does the population. Business owners are required to seek alternative options for their water supply, and advanced technology can help businesses achieve success without threatening our natural supply.
There are desalination and water treatments available. The desalination process is having treatment plants installed that will use seawater rather than water from rivers or dams. The salt and minerals are removed through reverse osmosis, making it potable water.
Your brewery can use industrial water treatment plants, which is another effective water solution. Industrial wastewater treatment is a process where wastewater goes through water purification to allow the water to be reused. The industrial water can be reused or it can go back into the water systems once it has been purified without harmful chemicals.
With water being so scarce, we cannot have contaminated water seeping its way back into the environment. Not only is it detrimental to our environment, but it will also harm habitats, wildlife and neighbouring communities that are dependent on that water source.
Recycle your bathroom water
Another water treatment process is purifying toilet water. According to this Water Conservation Guide, 9 litres of water is used when flushing the toilet. That is a large quantity of water that can be reused for industrial purposes, and luckily, there are several advanced treatment solutions in South Africa which can guide your process. Now, you can purify the water, turning toilet water into fresh drinking water that can be used for manufacturing.
According to further research conducted by researchers at the University of California, they found out during a blind water drink testing, that people preferred recycled water than conventional water. So, there really is no reason for you to be hesitant to take this leap.
Switch to groundwater
Groundwater undergoes a treatment which involves the remediation of saline or contaminated groundwater for potable and industrial use. This is a reliable source for breweries that are in a remote area. The process can vary depending on the groundwater. For example, the groundwater can go through a softening process which enables desalination for saline water, remineralisation of corrosive water or the removal of contaminants such as nitrate or heavy metal. However, a professional water consultant would have to determine the treatment that is best suited for your brewery.
Final thoughts
Technology offers many alternatives, which is extremely helpful for businesses because it protects you from any unforeseen issues like climate change. Sadly, we have no control over the environment, and this is why it is important to prepare your business for the worst. By doing that, you know that you’re safe and your business can continue to thrive.