by Tony Halstead
Independent brewer George Gale has won a major environmental award for water conservation.
The Hampshire-based brewer triumphed in the industryand business category in the Environment Agency's annual Water Efficiency Awards.
Improved management control in water usage has meant Gales has cut the volume of water used in its brewing operations by 25%.
Gales' water conservation programme centred around a dual strategy: increasing water consumption via the brewery's own borehole and cutting volumes purchased externally from the local water company.
A reduction in water drawn into the brewery also helpedGales reduce the volume ofeffluent entering the maindrains which also led to a reduction in its sewerage charges.
Storage of well water collected from the borehole overnight and used for both brewing and in cleaning systems enabled the company to use its own softening process and reduce the amount of cleaning chemicals used by some 35%.
Overall savings equated to a 25% reduction in general water consumption and a 22% cut in volumes purchased from the water company.
Costs of the project have been recovered in just 15 months.
It follows a number of environment and efficiency schemes undertaken at Gales over the past 13 years which have won the brewer a series of business and environmental awards.
It has enabled the company to reduce the energy needed to brew a pint of beer by 56% over the period and led to a total reduction in water consumption by 37%.
"The brewery has been very active for several years in trying to use its resources efficiently," explained Gales spokesman Michael Lunney.
"We have deep concerns for the moral and ethical reasons for helping the environment but the driving force for any business must be financial.
"The project aim was to save money by using less water and chemicals as environmental sustainability is a balance of social, corporate and economic issues."
Gales now plans to adopt a range of environmental and efficiency savings across its 40-strong managed pub estate.