Nestlé move saves millions

Recycled water initiative

A Nestlé Foods factory in Pakenham, Victoria, has just completed a water-saving project that is reported to save five million litres of water a year. Rainwater captured from the rooftops of three factory buildings is used to supplement mains water for the factory’s cooling towers. 

The project is supported by a Smart Water Fund Grant and is part of a successful grassroots employee initiative, the Water Wise team. In 2007, the team recognised that two large unused water treatment tanks would be perfect for storing water captured from the factory’s 5500 m² roof.

“Because recycled water cannot be used in food processing because of hygiene reasons, the challenge for the Water Wise team was to devise an innovative use for the rainwater collected,” explains factory manager Andrew Nooy.

After assessing water needs across the site, the rainwater now supplements mains water for the cooling towers, which are used for freezing ready-made meals and consume 11 million litres of water a year.

“During a six-month period of low rainfall last year, our project captured 1.765 million litres of water, and we’re confident that during a non-drought year we can capture and save five million litres of water,” Andrew says.

“The project has the potential to cut water consumption from the cooling towers in half, saving $6000 per year,” Andrew says. “As rainwater has a lower dissolved salt content than mains water, fresh water in the cooling towers will not need to be topped up as frequently, reducing our trade waste costs.”

To ensure a reliable and continuous supply of water to the cooling towers, automated valves allow the system to automatically change from rainwater to town water when the availability of captured rainwater is low.

Nestlé’s project demonstrates that while recycled water cannot be used in primary production in the food industry, creative factory managers have the opportunity to significantly reduce water consumption without impacting the production process.