Water conservation and reuse in poultry processing plant—A case study

Water conservation and water reuse concepts in food industry are presented in this paper. The developed study was in poultry processing plant, which focused water reuse evaluation for only non-potable applications. Although potable water reuse is allowed in some countries and there are international regulations about this practice [Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Guidelines for Water Reuse; 2004. http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/pubs/625r04108/625r04108.htm], this issue is recent in Brazil, where there is only a general regulation that deals with non-potable water reuse. In this study, rational water use strategies to identify operational flaws were evaluated by improvements at operational issues and physical losses identification. Some sectors with high water consumption and wastewater generation were identified, and the feasibility of water reuse practices was evaluated. A reduction by almost 31% in water consumption was achieved as a result of this study. It can be concluded that water conservation and water reuse programs are important tools for industry economy and its sustainability, and for the environment by preserving freshwater resources.