California is one step closer to making it easier for wineries and breweries in the state to have onsite use and treatment of recycled water. State Senator Scott Wiener recently proposed a bill that would create the regulations necessary for the industries to treat and reuse water onsite. According to SF Bay News, the regulations would be developed by the State Water Board in collaboration with the California Department of Public Heath’s Food and Drug Branch and “would require water quality monitoring, notification and public information requirements, and reporting annually to the CDPH.”[1]
The use of water in wineries and breweries goes beyond the production process; water is also used to clean equipment and facilities. In total, this water is called process water and can be treated and reused. For a brewery, this could mean a reduction in the amount of water used to make a gallon of beer “from about 7 gallons to as low as 2.5 gallons.”[2]
According to Wiener, “Many breweries and wineries want to reuse their water and simply need more guidance and support from the state to do so. SB 166 will help provide, especially for smaller wineries and breweries, adequate direction to be able to conserve more water. SB 166 is a win-win for our environment and for our small businesses.”[3]
The bill is sponsored by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) and is supported by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) and the WaterNow Alliance. If passed, the new regulations for water reuse in wineries and breweries would be in place by December 1, 2025.
[1] Chinn, Jerold. “Bill Would Simplify Water Reuse for Breweries, Wineries.” SFBay.ca, SFBay, 29 Jan. 2019, sfbay.ca/2019/01/28/bill-would-simplify-water-reuse-for-breweries-wineries/.
[2] “California’s Wineries and Breweries Look to Save Water by Reusing ‘Process Water’ Onsite.” California Water News Daily, 30 Jan. 2019, californiawaternewsdaily.com/conservation/californias-wineries-and-breweries-look-to-save-water-by-reusing-process-water-onsite/.
[3] “California’s Wineries and Breweries Look to Save Water by Reusing ‘Process Water’ Onsite.” California Water News Daily, 30 Jan. 2019, californiawaternewsdaily.com/conservation/californias-wineries-and-breweries-look-to-save-water-by-reusing-process-water-onsite/.
Photo Credit: Matt Lewis, Flickr