Food and drink business water efficiency

The fruit and vegetable industry uses a lot of water and creates a large amount of liquid waste, known as effluent. However, you can make significant savings with systematic water minimisation efforts.

Ways to reduce water use in your fruit and vegetable business

You can reduce your water use in several ways:

• Remove solid waste, such as trimmings, to avoid paying unnecessary effluent treatment and disposal costs.
• Use spray systems to reduce water use during processing. This may also be less labour-intensive.
• Rather than hosing down, use brushes, squeegees and scrapers to remove solids before they dry out. This can minimise and sometimes eliminate the need for water.
• When changing a process, choose equipment and techniques that reduce water use and solid waste.
• Consider using separate water systems to achieve better control of treated water use.

Ways to reuse water in your fruit and vegetable business

You can reuse water from fruit and vegetable processing in various ways:

• Treat and reuse water used in conveying solid waste.
• Remove grit and other debris from water for reuse, such as for rinsing.
• Use ultrafiltration and nanofiltration to filter out molecules such as proteins, colloidal material, and sugars so you can reuse the water.
• Store and reuse water for irrigation.
• Rinse produce in a series of tanks or stages. This achieves lower rates of water use.

Implement water-saving measures in your business

To implement water-saving measures, start by checking where you use and waste water. Then, create a plan to address these issues. This may involve getting water-efficient equipment, making process changes, and training staff on water-saving practices.

You might face challenges like the cost of equipment and resistance to change from staff. It's important to explain the benefits of saving water, such as cutting costs and helping the environment. Also, stay updated on water management regulations and regularly check water usage to make sure your strategies are working well.