Winery wastewater management is incredibly important, as wineries need to ensure that the water they use does not have any harmful effects on the environment. This is characterized, first and foremost, by its high organic load. These include fruit acids, sugar, alcohol, and other components of the grapes and wine production. In addition, wineries often use pesticides that end up in the wastewater. In some cases, the wastewater from wineries also has a high concentration of salts and sulfates. This is especially the case if the wine has been fined at the winery.
Winery wastewater management
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Winery wastewater management – sources and characteristics:
Overview of the wine industry
The wine industry encompasses the production, sale, and marketing of wine. The industry comprises various sub-sectors, including viticulture, winemaking, wine storage and distribution, and wine tasting and marketing.
Viticulture involves growing grapes that are used to make wine. The grapes are harvested and then turned into wine through various processes, such as pressing, fermentation, and aging. Winemaking requires specialized knowledge and techniques to achieve the desired taste and quality of the wine.
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Wine storage is an important step in winemaking, as it is through storage that wine develops its aromas and flavors. Wine is often stored in oak barrels or other special containers to achieve the desired flavor.
Winery wastewater management is therefore also a core component. Different amounts of wastewater are produced in almost every production step. Without treatment, it is not possible to discharge this into the environment or to reuse it for certain purposes in the company.
Wastewater generation in wineries
Wineries use water in many different places. These include:
Irrigation: Water irrigates the vines and ensures that they receive enough moisture to stay healthy and produce good grapes.
Winemaking: Water is used in the various steps of winemaking. This includes washing and de-stemming grapes, rinsing tanks and barrels, and cleaning equipment and facilities.
Cooling: In winemaking, it is necessary to control the temperature of the grapes, the must, and the wine. Water is the most suitable coolant for this purpose.
Cleaning: Thorough cleaning of the equipment and installations is important to keep the wine free of impurities. This is where water is used in combination with cleaning chemicals.
Water is a crucial part of wine production, from watering the vines to cleaning the equipment and utensils. It is crucial that wineries use water responsibly. Depending on the production process and output, wineries produce around 3 to 15 liters of wastewater for one liter of wine. Individual winery wastewater management is therefore important to sustainably protect the environment.
Winery wastewater management options
The core component of winery wastewater management is to minimize water consumption and to treat wastewater effectively before it is discharged into the environment. The individual situation of the wineries is crucial here. Due to the different sizes, equipment, and requirements, different treatment processes are suitable. The aim is to protect the environment on the one hand and to minimize the costs of wastewater disposal and possible heavy pollution charges in the medium term on the other.
A crucial measure of winery wastewater management is the reuse for irrigation. Since grapes require a lot of water in the summer months, reuse in this area is worthwhile. For this, the treated wastewater must be of direct discharge quality.
The treated wastewater is also suitable for reuse in the company. The focus here is on cleaning the floors. Wineries have large halls where the barrels or the bottling plants are located. Cleaning these halls requires a lot of water, which is why reusing the treated wastewater is worthwhile.
Wastewater categories in wineries
The wastewater in wineries comes from many different sources. Even though a large part of the wastewater is cleaning water, it is polluted to varying degrees due to the different areas of application. In addition, there is process water and sanitary wastewater.
Some of the cleaning water is already produced during the cleaning of the transport vehicles. In the process, mainly stalks, soil and remained grapes are mixed into the wastewater. Depending on the application, cleaning chemicals are also added at regular intervals. Another, much larger part of the cleaning water is produced by cleaning the production equipment. In the process, organic substances such as sugar, alcohol, dyes, or peel residues are mixed into the wastewater.
CIP (Clean in Place) wastewater is a special form of cleaning wastewater. CIP is a particularly water-saving form of cleaning but can only be used for certain production components. The cleaning water is mixed with chemicals and stored in a tank. Nozzles apply it to the production component to be cleaned at a set pressure and temperature. This is a highly automated process, but it is not used in every winery.
Sanitary wastewater is produced in kitchens, toilets, and showers. In contrast to cleaning water, the volume of wastewater is rather small. Since it can be biologically degraded particularly well, many wineries discharge the sanitary wastewater into the treatment plant as well.
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Summary
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Water is an important part of wine production, from irrigating vines to cleaning facilities and equipment. However, it is important that wineries manage water responsibly and ensure that wastewater is properly treated before it is released into the environment.
Winery wastewater management is a crucial part of protecting the environment and saving costs on fresh water as well as wastewater removal in the medium to long term. It is important that wineries select and implement the best method of wastewater management based on their specific requirements and environmental conditions. Effective wastewater treatment helps minimize the environmental impact of wastewater from wine production and promotes the sustainability of wine production.
It is therefore crucial that each winery knows the individual composition of its wastewater. Based on this, we will find the right solution for your application together.
We have already implemented winery wastewater management projects worldwide. If you would like to learn more about these projects, please join our mailing list.
