General Suggestions

• Appoint a water conservation coordinator with the responsibility and authority for the water conservation program.
• Make the plant manager and other employees aware of the water conservation coordinator's function.
• Increase employee awareness of water conservation:
  
  • Explain the importance of individual actions to the success of the program.
  • Seek employee ideas for water conservation using contests, rewards, and suggestion boxes.
  • Read water meter daily to monitor and report the success of water conservation efforts.

Survey the Plant

A plant survey helps to establish facility water savings potential by identifying areas where water is wasted or where water could be reused.

• Identify the major water lines. Determine the quality, quantity, and temperature of water carried by each.
• Identify all points where water is used, including hose connections. Determine the quantity of water used at each point.
• Determine the capacity of each water-containing unit and frequency of emptying.
• Determine the capacity of each continuous discharge not yet being reused.
• Determine flow rates in floor gutters and whether the flows are adequate to prevent solids accumulation.

Evaluate Survey

• Review the information developed during the survey to identify the major water-using operations and review the water re-use practices currently employed.
• Develop plans to improve re-use:
  
  • Evaluate the feasibility of installing cooling towers.
  • Study the potential for screening and disinfecting reclaimed water to increase the number of times it can be re-used.

Maximize Water-Use Efficiency

• Install high-pressure low-volume nozzles on spray washers.
• Use fogging nozzles to cool product.
• Install in-line strainers on all spray headers; inspect nozzles regularly for clogging.
• Adjust pump cooling and flushing water to the minimum required.
• Use conveying systems that use water efficiently.
  • Handle waste materials in a dry state when possible.
  • Use conveyor belts for product transport; preference should be given to "rabbit- ear" or "V" shaped roller supports because these are much easier to clean.
  • Use pneumatic conveying systems wherever possible.
  • Use flumes with parabolic cross sections rather than flat- bottom troughs.
• Establish optimum depth of product on conveyors to maximize wash water efficiency.
• Replace water-intensive units with alternatives - Rubber-disk units for raw product cleaning and peeling, Steam for water blanchers, or Evaporative coolers for hydrocooling systems.
• Determine whether discharges from any operation can be substituted for fresh water supplied to another operation.
  
  • Divide the spray wash units into two or more sections and establish a counter flow re-use system.
  • Use reclaimed water for flushing floor gutters.
  • Replace high-volume hoses with high pressure, low-volume cleaning systems.
  • As equipment wears out, replace with water-saving models.

Avoid Waste

• Equip all hoses with spring loaded shutoff nozzles. Be sure these nozzles are not removed.
• Instruct employees to use hoses sparingly and only when necessary.
  
  • Adjust flows from recirculation systems (washers, flumes) by controlling the rate of makeup water:
  • Install float-controlled valve on the makeup line.
  • Close filling line during operation.
  • Provide surge tanks for each system to avoid overflow.

• Turn off all flows during shutdowns (unless flows are essential for clean-up). Use solenoid valves to stop the flow of water when production stops. The valves could be activated by tying them to drive motor controls.
• Adjust flows in sprays and other lines to meet the minimum requirements.

Evaluate Clean-Up Procedures

• Sweep and shovel solid materials from the floor; do not use hoses for this purpose:
  
  • Provide an adequate number of receptacles for collecting solids.
  • Empty the receptacles frequently to prevent odor and insect problems.

• Inventory all cleaning equipment (such as hoses) provided in the plant:
  
  • Determine the number and types of units provided.
  • Evaluate their frequency of operation; and
  • Use more water-efficient equipment where possible.

• Inventory all cleaning chemicals used in the facility to determine:
  • Are they are being used correctly?
  • Are they water use efficient?
  • Control belt sprays with a timer to allow for the intermittent application for chlorinated water.

Exterior Areas

• Discontinue using water to clean sidewalks, driveways, loading docks, and parking lots.
• Consider using mobile sweepers and vacuums.
• Wash autos, buses, and trucks less often.
• Avoid plant fertilizing and pruning that would stimulate excessive growth.
• Remove weeds and unhealthy plants so remaining plants can benefit from the water saved.
• In many cases, older, established plants require only infrequent irrigation. Look for indications of water need, such as wilt, change of color, or dry soils.
• Limit landscaping additions and alterations. In the future, design landscapes requiring less water.
• Install soil moisture overrides or timers on sprinkler systems.
• Time watering, when possible, to occur in the early morning or evening when evaporation is lowest.
• Make sure irrigation equipment applies water uniformly.
• Mulch around plants to reduce evaporation and discourage weeds.
• Remove thatch and aerate turf to encourage the movement of water to the root zone.
• Begin a flexible watering schedule, watering only when needed, and not on windy or rainy days.
• Avoid runoff and make sure sprinklers cover just the lawn or garden, not sidewalks, driveways, or gutters.

For More Information

For more information, contact the Water Supply Program at 410-537-3702 or water.supply@maryland.gov.​