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Water recycling plant helps potato packing firm cut water use by 85%.

A £1m water recycling plant in the South West has enabled potato packer and distributor Branston to reduce its use of mains water by 85%.

As a result of the plant in Ilminster, Somerset Branston is saving 41m3 of mains water per day as waste water from washing potatoes is filtrated stored and reused on site.

Branstons general manager Ian Wait said the company looked at how water was used on site and workwed with local agencies to find methods of reducing its main water usage. He said “We reached our target of 85% reduction in mains water usage around four weeks ago and are now working at our full potential. This has significantly helped reduce our reliance on the towns mains supply”

The recycling system treats the waste water from washing potatoes by removing the soil, the water is then passed through a membrane bio-reactor for further filtration which can then be safely reused. In addition the recycling unit also allows cleaner water to be drained into the sewerage system.

To fund the project Branston received £ 55,000 investment from the European Regional Development Funbd via the Interreg project Water Adaptation is Valuable for Everybody (WAVE) a partnership project supported by Somerset County Council.

Somerset County Council councillor David Hall stated ” Through the WAVE project we are able to claim up to 50% of the costs from Europe and Branston is one of five demonstration projects locally being funded through this particular project”

The UK Farming and Advisory Group (FWAG) is also helping Branston to reduce its effluent discharge by at least 80%.

The water plant is part of a larger initiative by Branston to make its works more sustainable and follows on from the success of its Lincolnshire factory where a water recycling and anaerobic digestion plant has been installed.