As we discover more about the impact of climate change, and world leaders wrap up at COP26, we’re all looking for ways to reduce our impact on the environment. The wine industry is one of the sectors that needs to look for more sustainable practices.

In this article, we discuss how much water is used in the wine-making industry and how wine producers can update their systems to make them more environmentally friendly.

Water and wine production

Although the number of wine-producing countries in the world grows every year, 10 countries create about 80% of the world’s wine. But while these countries create some delicious beverages, they use a huge amount of water in the process. In fact, it takes 872 gallons of water to produce 1 gallon of wine. According to The Huffington Post, this means it takes about 34 gallons of water to produce 5 fluid ounces of wine.

A lot of this water comes from the fact that, in many countries, the grapes require constant irrigation, especially in the drought-stricken regions of Australia. The wineries must also ensure that their production is sanitary, and a lot of water is used to clean barrels, tanks and presses.

Even during the process of bottling, a lot of water is used to clean out the bottles and disinfect them.

But many wineries do not know how much this water waste is costing them, or the planet. In fact, it has been estimated that a large South-Australian winery loses approximately $2.4–3.4 million per annum due to wastewater.

However, it is important to note that the amount of wastewater produced varies greatly from season to season, as does wine production.

What can wineries do to reduce their environmental impact?

Although little can be done to reduce the amount of water that wineries need to produce high-quality and sanitary wine, wineries should do everything they can to ensure that they are not wasting too much water. This can help to ensure that they are saving money as well as ensuring that they are not harming the planet.

To do this, they must integrate professional wastewater systems that can properly treat all of the wastewater that is used in production. They must also ensure that their production is as water-saving as possible (by reducing accidental spillages, leaks and implementing dry cleaning where possible).

Get professional winery wastewater treatment

If you own a winery and are looking for a way to reduce your environmental impact and save money, invest in a professional winery wastewater treatment solution from By Jas. We provide highly flexible aerators for pH, variable flow, temperature, disinfectant, organics and nutrient concentrations. What’s more, the equipment is non-odorous if aeration is maintained.

Contact us to learn more about our wastewater treatment for wineries. As a family-owned business, we have been in the industry for 35 years and service regional town centres, remote regional areas and main capital cities across Australia.

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We live in a world where sustainability is important. Wastewater management is a huge part of this and By Jas provides essential wastewater treatment methods that will help your business create more sustainable operations.

If your business produces any form of contaminated water, By Jas can help design a customised wastewater treatment system and install it for you. All of our solutions are tier 1 and are tailor-made for your business operations.

Our team has extensive experience providing residential, commercial and industrial wastewater and sewage treatment systems around the country including regional, rural and metropolitan centres across Victoria.

We know that every premise has different wastewater and sewerage management requirements. So we work with each individual client to discover your individual needs, design wastewater treatment solutions just for your business and supply all of the parts and installation services to complete the task.

A full range of wastewater and sewerage treatment solutions

When you enlist the services of By Jas, we are with you for life. We want to ensure that your wastewater treatment solutions are working optimally at all times so offer a complete range of services, including:

Supply and installation: We discover the right pump for you and tailor a wastewater solution, installing it at your premises.

Ongoing service and maintenance: All machinery needs to be regularly inspected for signs of wear and tear and our technicians can take care of all of your service and maintenance requirements.

Repairs: If you are having any issues, our technicians can discover what the fault is and provide rapid repairs.

Upgrades: If your wastewater system has reached the end of its life or there is better technology available, we can upgrade your wastewater treatment so you have the best possible system.

Why should I consider wastewater management for my business operations?

The modern world is heading toward a sustainable future. It is not only good for the environment to manage your wastewater, but it is good for your business too.

Modern consumers prefer brands that have sustainable operations, so this is a way to reach new customers as well. Other reasons for considering wastewater management include-

• It will help protect local ecosystems and waterways
• Your water expenses will be reduced as the maximum volume of water will be recycled and re-used
• You’ll enjoy greater productivity and efficiency by having clean water available at all times for all applications
• It reduces wear and tear and damage to your industrial, commercial or agricultural equipment
• You can also recycle valuable by-products that would otherwise be lost as waste

We have provided wastewater management solutions for a range of commercial, industrial, agricultural and domestic premises including specialised operations like winery wastewater solutions.

By Jas specialises in sewage and wastewater treatment. Visit us at Byjas or contact us on (03) 5979 1096. We have been in the industry for 35 years and are family-owned. We service across Australia, including regional town centres, remote regional areas, and main capital cities.

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How Wineries Can Make Their Irrigation Systems More Efficient

Manufacturing wine is a fruitful endeavour that provides us with a delicious alcoholic drink, however, it does have a significant environmental impact. Anywhere up to 7 litres of water is used to create a single litre of wine, with about 70% of the water used ending up a wastewater byproduct.

Wineries have a very high biological oxygen demand (BOD) and require significant winery wastewater treatment to stay in line with the law and lessen their overall impact on the environment. In this article, we are going to discuss how wastewater specialists such as By-Jas provide wastewater solutions for the winery industry.

How to handle winery waste

Wastewater that stems from wine production can end up being liquid BOD from spillages during bottling or solid BOD from grape seeds, stalks or sedimentary waste (known as total suspended solids). Other contaminants include water and chemicals that have been used to clean the winery and its equipment. As a result of this, most wastewaters from wineries are soluble, biodegradable organics.

Generally speaking, a winery might produce a BOD of around 300 – 3500 mg/L but when the crushing season hits, this could rise to 12,000 mg/L. Throughout the season it is expected that production will wax and wane, so there is often surges in wastewater volume that should be addressed. This is why sewage treatment is such an important aspect of winemaking.

A solution: wastewater lagoons for wineries

A lagoon is an excellent way to handle winery wastewater, but it requires the expertise of wastewater equipment manufacturers to set it up correctly. It is a reasonably low-maintenance solution that is both eco-friendly and cost-effective. Lagoons can be designed to handle peak loads throughout the winemaking season and minimise issues such as sludge buildup or foul odours from developing.

Treating winery wastewater effectively requires surface aerators to mix oxygen into the water and create an aerobic environment for helpful bacteria to thrive and break down BOD. The effectiveness of the aerators is dependant on consistent aeration and mixing, which is why it is important to use wastewater equipment manufacturers for this set-up.

The aerobic bacteria need the right environment to work – so aeration and the mixing of wastewater are essential. Without that, the bacteria won’t have enough oxygen to generate the energy needed to break down BOD and suspended solids in the wastewater.

With the right setup, a winery can significantly lessen its environmental impact and effectively manage its wastewater, BOD and suspended solids. The key is bringing on the right specialists to facilitate the solution. Wastewater lagoons and aerators are excellent solutions for winery wastewater, but it does require professional knowledge and tools to set it up correctly.

Contact By Jas today

By Jas specialises in sewage and wastewater treatment. Visit us at By Jas  or contact us on (03) 5979 1096. We have been in the industry for 35 years and are family-owned. We service across Australia, including regional town centres, remote regional areas, and main capital cities.

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