A practical new toolkit, developed by Victoria's RMIT University researchers, will help food manufacturers cut their water use by identifying the processes that use the most water and the changes they can make to reduce their consumption.
Supported by the Smart Water Fund, the Water Saver Toolkit was developed in conjunction with the Plenty Food Group, the City of Whittlesea, the City of Hume, Yarra Valley Water and several industrial food manufacturers.
RMIT's Dr Nira Jayasuriya said the online toolkit gave small to medium-sized food manufacturers detailed information on their options for cutting water consumption and the estimated return on investments related to particular water-saving measures.
"Food processing uses more water than any other industry around Australia, consuming more than 241 billion litres of water each year," Dr Jayasuriya said.
"In Victoria, any businesses that use more than 10 million litres a year must prepare a water-saving plan but smaller firms are exempt from this rule.
"These businesses usually don't have the expertise or the financial resources necessary to develop water sustainability plans.
"This toolkit will give small business owners a practical understanding of their water use and show them where they can affordably implement water savings."
The Water Saver Toolkit can be found at: www.plentyfoodgroup.com.au/water