Reducing Water Consumption a Key Concern

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Recent reports indicate that PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay North America manufacturing facility located in Casa Grande, Arizona is closer to its goal of being a “near net zero” manufacturing facility.
 
Near net zero refers to a facility that has transferred almost exclusively to renewable energy sources, produces virtually no carbon emissions, and virtually no landfill waste.

Additionally, the facility has dramatically reduced its water consumption, which was a key concern because the plant is located in an exceptionally dry part of Arizona.
 
Recent studies report that buildings in the U.S. are responsible for about 15 percent of all the water consumed in the country.
 
According to Doug Berjer, product manager for CFR, manufacturer of recycling carpet extractors, water shortages are a growing concern in the U.S., which means taking steps to reduce water consumption in all building operations, including cleaning and carpet cleaning, is becoming a “front burner” issue.
 
“The Frito-Lay plant set a goal of cutting water consumption by more than half,” says Berjer.  “And, it looks like they have reached and possibly surpassed this goal.”

To do this, the factory installed a water recovery/reuse system, which recycles as much as 75 percent of the water used in the plant.  The recycled water meets standards established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
 
“This is just another example of what can be done with water recycling technologies available today,” adds Berjer.  “Whether it’s cleaning carpets or running factories, we can reduce water consumption and other natural resources more than we realize.”