Water Conservation
Water is an essential resource we all share, and one that is essential to dairy production. To ensure that we are managing this precious resource responsibly, we constantly monitor our use and invest in new technologies that help us conserve.
FRESH WATER CONSUMED AND WASTEWATER GENERATED
We have been working hard to systematically track and meter not only our fresh water use but also our wastewater, to ensure optimum performance. Our Environment Health and Safety (EHS) managers in all Darigold plants have been working to identify and fix leaks, reuse water when possible and develop process changes that reduce overall water consumption. These efforts have paid dividends. From 2011 to 2015, we reduced our fresh water consumption overall by 2.7% and fresh water intensity (gallons of water per pound of milk processed) by 1.8% . This represents true improvement, as our total product volume was essentially flat over this time period.
Between 2011-2015, we reduced our total water consumption by nearly 3% and our water use per pound of milk processed by almost 2%.
Wastewater Reuse
We have been investing in new dairy processing technology that makes it easier than ever to improve water conservation and reuse. Today we can harvest water from the byproduct of making various dairy products. This “polished water” resulting from milk drying processes is treated and reused several times for various plant cleaning purposes before it is discharged into wastewater infrastructures. The innovations we have implemented allow us to make more and better use of the water we have — ensuring the long-term sustainability of our production process.
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Darigold and Lynden Water Reclamation Project
Darigold and the city of Lynden, Wash. are collaborating on an innovative water reclamation project designed to benefit the community. Learn more about the Lynden water reclamation project.
Lynden Water Conservation