The Food and Drink sector uses 10% of the water used by UK businesses, some 430 megalitres per day from the public water supply, and direct abstractions of 260 megalitres per day1. As well as discharges to the public sewer, the industry treats a significant proportion of its own effluent, giving rise to liquid and solid wastes.
The cost of water and effluent includes not only water supply, trade effluent, treatment and waste disposal costs, but also the significant cost of raw materials and product lost from processing equipment, pipework, storage tanks and washed away during cleaning.
Understanding the whole picture of water use, effluent costs and drain losses, and expressing this in product equivalent can help identify significant savings from reducing product losses, reducing water waste, improving cleaning processes, re-use of water, and optimising effluent treatment.
Investments in some water-saving technologies can qualify for Enhanced Capital Allowance, meaning the investment can qualify for tax relief in the first year, rather than spreading the relief over the life of the project.
"By measuring and managing water and effluent across the company we have gained control over a significant area of overhead cost."
Mr Ben Smales, Production Director, F Smales and Son (Fish Merchants) Ltd
Key publications
Sector-specific publications on reducing water and effluent costs
Other information
1Food Industry Sustainability Strategy 2006.