Industry advice for saving water |
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- Clean plant areas and paths with brooms rather than water.
- Make sure all hoses are fitted with trigger-operated guns.
- For equipment that needs to be cleaned regularly, consider using process water from other areas.
- Use high-pressure nozzles where possible.
- Consider alternative methods of cleaning, such as high-pressure air jets.
- Where possible, wash items in water baths rather than under sprinklers.
- Agitate rinse baths with air or mechanically, to increase rinse water life and efficiency.
- Use scrapers and brooms to remove residue build-up in plant machinery.
- Regularly check that spray nozzles are aimed correctly.
- Identify processes where the discharged water can be reused. This includes water from equipment cleaning, filtered backwash water, final cooling and cleaning water, and water used for transport.
- Identify areas for using the recycled water. These may include:
- Cooling tower makeup water
- Industrial processes
- Equipment cooling and cleaning
- Garden irrigation - Check to see where water treatment is necessary before recycling
- Consider other options for keeping wastewater on-site that can potentially add-value to the company’s use of water. Wastewater often contains high levels of nutrients and other by-products. If treated appropriately, these by-products can be reused or sold as products such as mulch or animal feed.
- Consider waste treatment processes such as wetlands, composting and worm-farms.
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Cooling towers and process water cooling |
- Use rainwater, dam water or process water to supplement fresh makeup water for cooling towers.
- To avoid overflowing, ensure the float valve and seal of the makeup supply is set correctly.
- Eliminate water lost from wind drift by using baffles and drift eliminators.
- Ensure blowdown water use is controlled properly.
- If cooling water cannot be recirculated, reuse this water in other processes such as cleaning.
- Use air-cooled rather than water-cooled ice making machines.
- Regularly check for leaks in the system.
- Use rainwater for toilet flushing and garden irrigation. See savewater.com.au’s sections on Rainwater Harvesting and Gardens for more information.
- Install water efficient products in staff bathrooms, change rooms and kitchens. Use savewater.com.au’s section on The Home for information on water efficient products.
- Disconnect or remove taps that are no longer in use.
- Wash vehicles in designated bunded wash bays that capture water for recycling or garden irrigation.
- Investigate opportunities to improve the stormwater management on the site. This will present opportunities for using that water, as well as reduce the risk of unwanted discharges from the site.
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