Water and wastewater management in the fruit and vegetable processing industry

A recently completed Water Research Commission (WRC) study investigated the water and energy use efficiency and wastewater generation within the fruit and vegetable processing industry. This was the second survey of its kind following studies undertaken by the WRC and the Department of Water and Sanitation in the 1980s. The latest study benchmarked the intensity parameters (specific water intake, specific effluent generated, specific electricity consumption and specific fuel consumption) with international best practice as well as the status in 1987 when the previous study was undertaken. The study aimed to provide an understanding of the current best practices within the fruit and vegetable processing industry, including how the industry has progressed and changed since 1987.