Viticulture

There are more than 140 vineyards in the Canberra wine region, and many benefits to saving water in the industry. 

Economic benefits

• Water costs for mains water go down, as well as the costs of wastewater disposal.
• The need to pump water around the vineyard goes down, which reduces annual energy costs and greenhouse emissions.
• Your infrastructure requirements are simpler, for example less maintenance of pumping equipment and water pipes.

Agronomic benefits

• Improved quality of grapes; and
• Improved crop yield (more grapes per area of land).

Additional benefits

• You'll improve your business image and the marketability of your product.
• You'll reduce the impact of stormwater flow and the potential for erosion. This minimises damage to your property, as well as the local environment.
• You'll be protecting our region's aquatic environments because the quality of flows from your property will be higher. 
• Your business will be better prepared for any future droughts, water restrictions or an increase in water prices.
• You'll minimise the impacts of salinity and groundwater contamination in your region.

How to save water in the wine industry

• Install water meters on your major plant machinery and processes. This will allow you to track water use performance, identify leaks and set targets for water reductions.
• Conduct a detailed water audit to identify problem areas and prioritise how you can manage them.
• Use equipment with automatic shut-off devices, to eliminate water wastage.
• Use high-pressure nozzles and spray devices. The higher pressure should clean surfaces more effectively and use less water at the same time. 
• Use flow restrictors to control flow rates to equipment and taps.
• Try to avoid mixing solids with water wherever possible.
• Sweep down surfaces rather than hosing or mopping. Use brooms, scrubbers and squeegees.
• Filter out organic materials before discharging water as effluent.
• Introduce automatic cleaning systems, to reduce both water and chemical use.
• Use water sparingly when cleaning equipment.
• Recycle water used in leak testing barrels.
• Consider treating and reusing winery wastewater for vineyard or other crop irrigation.
• Consider using rainwater and stormwater collected from the site for activities such as wash-downs and toilet flushing. See our sections on rainwater and construction for more information.

Discover ways to save water in the manufacturing industry