How to Save Water During Cleaning Processes

Water is a precious resource and one of the most commonly used ingredients in the food industry. The amount of water used significantly impacts production costs, facility operating costs, and the amount of wastewater generated as a byproduct. Many automatic and semi-automatic production lines in both the production and post-production processes use water continuously, even when it is temporarily not needed. Installing systems to control the flow of water can result in significant savings. To improve the efficiency of the cleaning and rinsing process and reduce water consumption, it is important to direct and condense the water stream properly. Considerable savings in rinsing can be achieved by using more efficient nozzles with flat or point-shaped cross-sections. By positioning nozzles in the correct direction with long bent lances, products can be rinsed with the same precision but at lower pressure. When choosing the right type of nozzle, factors such as flow size, pressure drop, stream shape, type of object being cleaned, required stream impact force, and droplet size should be considered. Proper solutions applied in cleaning systems ensure cost optimization for cleaning and disinfection by reducing the consumption of chemicals, water, and labor. Employee comfort and safety are also critical. To achieve this, equipment configuration must be optimized according to the size of the facility and type of production.