Water and Energy Project

2023 Water Usage Results

March 2025

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Methodology
   • 2.1 Development of the Data Collection Tool
   • 2.2 Scope of the Data Collection
   • 2.3 Participation
   • 2.4 Data Quality and Notes
3. Water Use Intensity
   • 3.1 Drenching
   • 3.2 Dedicated Presort Water Use Intensity
   • 3.3 Dedicated Packing Line Water Use Intensity
   • 3.4 Hybrid Line Water Use Intensity
   • 3.5 Cold Storage
   • 3.6 Ablutions, Canteens & Offices Water Use Intensity
   • 3.7 Overall Packhouse Water Use Intensity
4. Water Usage Profiles
   • 4.1 Results
5. Water Sources
6. Year-on-Year Comparison of Water Use Intensities
7. Water Management Practices
   • 7.1 Flume Technology Age
   • 7.2 Flume Water Management
   • 7.3 Water Saving and Water Treatment Methods
8. Conclusion
9. Recommendations

Introduction

Since 2017, Blue North Sustainability (Pty) Ltd. has conducted annual benchmarking for the Packhouse Action Group (PAG) to assess water risks and consumption in pome fruit packhouse and cold storage operations. This seventh phase covers data from January to December 2023, with objectives to:

• Replicate previous water use benchmark studies
• Increase packhouse participation
• Compare year-on-year water use intensity
• Collect data on recycling technologies and processes
• Summarise water management practices
• Simplify data collection and validation

This report presents Phase 7 results (2023 data), compares them to previous phases (2017–2022), and summarises water management and recycling methodologies.
Electricity consumption results are available in a separate report.

Methodology

2.1 Development of the Data Collection Tool

• Data collected via a tool and sense-checked by the project team.
• Data anomalies discussed and rectified or explained.
• Updates for Phase 7:
  • Incorporated 2022 data for validation
  • Added fields for drenching protocol (single/multiple drench)
  • Added fields for water recycling and reuse

2.2 Scope of the Data Collection

Five areas of water consumption were isolated:

• Drenching: Water for drenching fruit or bins
• Dedicated presort: Water for dedicated presorting lines
• Packing lines: Water for packing lines (mainly flume water)
• Hybrid line: Water for lines where presort and packing occur simultaneously
• Cold storage: Water for Regular Atmosphere (RA) and Controlled Atmosphere (CA) facilities (mainly cooling towers)
• Ablutions, canteen & offices: Staff water consumption

2.3 Participation

• 32 packhouses invited; 9 provided data
  • 3 have participated since the first phase
  • 1 new participant showed interest but could not participate
  • 12 did not respond; 10 declined
• Main reasons for non-participation:
  • Limited capacity for data collection
  • Lack of sufficient record-keeping (no metering/sub-metering)
  • Limited resources for data capturing

One packhouse plans to install meters in 2025 for future participation.

2.4 Data Quality and Notes

• All datasets correspond to the 2023 calendar year.
• Packhouses are anonymised (A to P).
• Most packhouses cannot allocate water use by area due to lack of separate meters.
• Some provided only qualitative data due to lack of metering.

Table 1: Summary of Packhouse Data Quality

• Most packhouses cannot allocate water use by area due to lack of separate meters.
• Some have no meters and provided only estimates or qualitative data.

Water Use Intensity

3.1 Drenching

• Calculation (per tonne):
  Drenching water consumption (m³) x 1,000 / Tonnes of pome fruit drenched
• Calculation (per bin):
  Drenching water consumption (m³) x 1,000 / Number of pome fruit bins drenched
• Some packhouses do not drench. Water use varies due to metering inaccuracy and different drenching protocols.
• Packhouses A and M double-drench; B, G, H, and K single-drench.

3.2 Dedicated Presort Water Use Intensity

• Calculation:
  Presort water consumption (m³) x 1,000 / Tonnes of pome fruit for dedicated presort line
• Only packhouses with dedicated presort lines included; most values are estimated.

3.3 Dedicated Packing Line Water Use Intensity

• Calculation:
  Dedicated packing line water consumption (m³) x 1,000 / Tonnes of pome fruit packed
• Many values estimated due to insufficient metering.
• Packing line is a major water consumer; lack of metering is a concern.

3.4 Hybrid Line Water Use Intensity

• Calculation:
  Hybrid packing line water consumption (m³) x 1,000 / Tonnes of pome fruit packed
• Only packhouse M provided both water use and tonnage data for the hybrid line.

3.5 Cold Storage

• Calculation:
  Cold storage water consumption (m³) x 1,000 / (CA & RA tonne.days)
• Tonne.day = 1 tonne stored for 1 day.
• Water use varies widely due to different storage protocols and metering quality.
• Packhouse A uses automated bleeding and harvested rainwater for refrigeration.

3.6 Ablutions, Canteens & Offices Water Use Intensity

• Calculation:
  Ablutions, canteens & offices water consumption (m³) x 1,000 / Staff man-days
• Values above 50 litres/person/day are considered high.
• Potential for improvement through awareness, training, and recycling technology.

3.7 Overall Packhouse Water Use Intensity

• Incorporates all sections except “other” (e.g., housing, gardening).
• Unit: kL (or m³) per tonne of pome fruit packed.
• Metered packhouses consumed just below 1.5 kL/tonne in 2022.
• Large variation due to different water management practices.

Water Usage Profiles

4.1 Results

• Cold storage is the largest water consumer in most packhouses.
• Large variation in profiles due to:
  • Lack of metering
  • Water allocation issues
  • Record errors
  • Different flume technologies and recycling practices

Water Sources

• Largest volumes obtained from dams and boreholes; municipal water is third.
• Rainwater use increased by 22% since 2022.
• Some packhouses use recycled water from flumes.

Year-on-Year Comparison of Water Use Intensities

• Year-on-year comparisons are valuable for tracking trends.
• Only packhouses with more than two years of data included.
• Most packhouses show a downward or neutral trend in packing line water intensity.
• Cold storage water use increased at some packhouses; data quality is key.
• Staff water use shows mixed trends; improvements possible with water-saving measures.

Water Management Practices

7.1 Flume Technology Age

• Most packhouses now have flume technology older than 10 years.
• Upgrading is recommended for water efficiency.

7.2 Flume Water Management

• Most packhouses monitor pH and chlorine levels; some use ORP.
• Flume water is typically drained weekly; some less frequently.
• Efficient drainage and refill cycles can save significant water.

7.3 Water Saving and Water Treatment Methods

• Flume water: Most packhouses discharge to earth dams; only one reuses for irrigation/firefighting.
• Rainwater: Most harvest rainwater, but some do not use it.
• Drenching: Recycling technologies include perforated grids, glass filters, and sand filters.
• Presort/packing line: Sand filters and UV treatment are common.
• Cold storage: Some use recycling technologies (e.g., defrosted water to makeup tanks).
• Ablutions/canteens/offices: Recycling is rare; some use rainwater tanks or sewage treatment.
• Wastewater treatment: Most filter via wetlands; some use silver bromide solution.

Conclusion

• Phase 7 shows continued value and promising trends in water use efficiency.
• Participation is growing, but barriers remain (metering, data collection capacity).
• Year-on-year data is increasingly valuable as the database grows.
• Water reuse, alternative sources, and waste reduction are being implemented, but more accurate data is needed to quantify impact.

Key challenges:

• Incomplete metering
• Limited data collection capacity
• Underutilisation of renewable water sources (e.g., rainwater harvesting)

Recommendations

For Industry

• Require reporting of overall water use and sources via the PAG project.
• Launch an industry-wide metering campaign or standard.
• Implement a “Water Heroes” recognition program for excellence in water use.

For Packhouses

• Implement consistent water consumption record-keeping with accurate meters.
• Allocate water use per activity or area for better accuracy.
• Establish a formal water policy and management plan.
• Set achievable water reduction targets.
• Train staff on water-wise behaviour.
• Explore and use alternative water sources (rainwater, treated wastewater).
• Reuse water wherever possible (e.g., floor cleaning, ablutions, cooling towers).
• Treat and reuse wastewater to minimise freshwater use.
• Optimise cooling tower operation (e.g., automated bleeding).
• Extend retention times for drenching/flume water.
• Regularly inspect and repair leaks and faulty equipment.
• Install water-efficient technologies (flow restrictors, tap aerators, auto shut-off valves).

By following these recommendations, packhouses can significantly improve water use efficiency and contribute to a more sustainable fruit industry.