REUSE AND RECYCLING
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Water recycling in the winery can cut down on total wastewater flow and maximize the value of inputs. But it can also concentrate salts, nutrients and BOD in a smaller volume of water, yielding ‘higher-strength’ wastewater. Reuse options should always be evaluated for their feasibility and potential impact within the context of the specific winery operation.
Reuse in the Winery
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Some wastewater streams can be repurposed within the facility multiple times before disposal or end treatment, via automated systems (e.g. Clean-in-Place) as well as manual methods. Wastewater streams with reuse potential include:
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Tank Cleaning - final rinses
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Bottling - soak water; rinse water
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Barrels - cleaning water
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Equipment Management - cooler flush water; filter backwash; sterilizer water
These streams may be repurposed as:
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First rinses in wash cycles
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Filter backflush
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Caustic dilution
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Boiler makeup
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Refrigeration equipment defrost
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Equipment cleaning
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Floor and gutter washing
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[Adapted from the Winery Process Wastewater Management Handbook by Sustainable Winegrowing British Columbia.]
KEY QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
Use these guiding questions as you begin to evaluate opportunities for additional water quality actions in the winery.
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Which reuse category does each wastewater stream fall into [Category 1 = "relatively clean, can be reused without treatment", Category 2 = "Can be reused with limited treatment", Category 3 = "Requires full treatment and/or disposal")?
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What options are available to capture each wastewater stream?
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What are the cost implications (including net savings) for each reuse option?
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Visit the Resources page for more Key Questions.