Improving industrial water use: case study for an Indian distillery

Alcohol distilleries are highly water intensive units generating large volumes of high strength wastewater that poses a serious environmental concern. This study aimed at identifying options for improved water use in this sector through a case study in a local distillery. It emerged that optimization of cooling tower operation, innovative ways to reuse wastewater streams like spent lees and spentwash and employing semi-continuous/continuous fermentation could reduce water use in distilleries.