Turning on the Taps Wisely: Optimising Water Use in Drinks Production

Welcome back to our series on water stewardship. In the last article, we journeyed upstream to the source of our ingredients, exploring the immense water footprint embedded in our agricultural supply chains and the importance of collaborating with farmers to reduce it. Now, we bring our focus back within our own four walls: the distillery, the brewery, the winery, the production plant.

The water used in our direct operations – for cleaning, cooling, processing, and as an ingredient – represents the part of our water footprint over which we have the most direct control. It is here that targeted action, smart investment, and a shift in mindset can lead to significant and measurable reductions in water consumption, delivering both environmental benefits and operational efficiencies. For any drinks business serious about sustainability, optimising in-house water use is a fundamental, non-negotiable step.

And we’ve already covered the case of water limitations being put in place in Suffolk which stifles growth opportunities, so improving water efficiency becomes business critical.

A systematic approach to operational water management can be broken down into three core actions: Measure, Reduce, and Reuse/Recycle.

1. Measure: If You Can't Measure It, You Can't Manage It

Before you can save a single drop, you must understand where every drop is going. A comprehensive water audit is the essential starting point for any effective stewardship plan.

• Install Meters & Sub-meters: A single utility bill is not enough. Installing sub-meters on high-consumption areas – such as Clean-In-Place (CIP) systems, cooling towers, boilers, and specific production lines – provides granular data, revealing hotspots and identifying leaks that would otherwise go unnoticed.

• Map Your Water Flow: Understand the journey water takes through your facility, from intake to discharge. This helps identify opportunities not just for reduction, but for reuse.

2. Reduce: The Power of Efficiency

Once you know where your water is being used, you can begin to systematically reduce it. This is about using less water to achieve the same or better results. Key areas for reduction in drinks production include:

• Cleaning (CIP Systems): Often the largest usage of water in a facility and a complex area. Optimisation can yield huge savings and CIP providers have been doing great work to reduce water usage of their systems. This includes re-evaluating cycle times, using high-pressure/low-volume spray nozzles, and recovering final rinse water to use as the pre-rinse for the next cleaning cycle.

• Cooling: Traditional "once-through" cooling systems are incredibly wasteful. Transitioning to closed-loop cooling systems with cooling towers can reduce water consumption for cooling by over 95%. While they require energy, the water savings are immense.

• Process Optimisation: Look critically at every stage. Can mashing or fermentation processes be adjusted? Is there excess water used in transfer lines? Can bottle rinsing be made more efficient? Small adjustments across multiple stages add up to significant savings.

• General Utilities: The basics still matter. A proactive leak detection and repair programme, fitting hoses with automatic shut-off nozzles, and staff training on water-conscious practices are all cost-effective ways to cut waste.

3. Reuse/Recycle: Creating a Circular Flow

This is the next level of water stewardship, where water is treated as a circular resource, not a single-use input. It involves capturing process water, treating it to a safe standard, and using it again for another purpose.

• Identify Reuse Opportunities: Treated water from processes like final rinses or cooling tower blowdown can often be safely repurposed for non-critical applications.

• Potential Uses for Recycled Water:

  • Initial rinses for tanks or bottles.

  • Floor and vehicle washing.

  • Boiler feed water (requires high-quality treatment).

  • Make-up water for cooling towers.

  • Irrigation of on-site landscaping.

• Investment in Treatment: This approach requires investment in water treatment technologies (e.g., filtration, UV sterilisation), but the return on investment can be compelling through drastically reduced water purchasing and wastewater discharge fees, particularly for larger facilities.

The Compelling Business Case for Water Efficiency

Optimising water use within your facility is not just an environmental initiative; it’s a sound business strategy. The benefits are clear:

• Financial Savings: Reduced bills for both water intake and effluent discharge, which can be substantial. Energy savings are also often realised, as less water needs to be pumped and heated.

• Operational Resilience: In an era of increasing water stress and potential restrictions (as discussed in Article 1), businesses with lower water dependency are more resilient and less vulnerable to disruption and price hikes. It strengthens your "licence to operate."

• Brand & Stakeholder Value: A demonstrable commitment to efficient water use is a powerful part of any sustainability story, meeting the growing expectations of consumers, investors, and retail partners.

Next: Future-Proofing Our Most Precious Resource

By systematically measuring, reducing, and reusing water within our own operations, we can make immediate and significant progress on our stewardship journey. We've now looked upstream at our agricultural supply chains and inside our own facilities. The final piece of the puzzle is to look ahead.

In our concluding article, we will explore how to build a long-term strategic plan for water resilience, preparing your business for the challenges and opportunities of a water-scarce future.

For now, the message is clear: the power to turn on the taps more wisely is firmly in our hands.