Ponds at a Fonterra property which is used to manage disposal of wastewater.
Dairy factories use powerful cleaning agents to maintain hygiene in milk processing, which creates a major disposal issue.
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Fonterra’s Stanhope factory is on track to save 165 million litres of water each year.
And re-use of cleaning chemicals is expected to reduce the amount of sodium that goes into wastewater.
The company has been using about 800 million litres of wastewater each year to irrigate a Fonterra-owned neighbouring farm, where 363 hectares of flood irrigation bays are used to grow hay and silage crops for dairy cattle.
Cheesemaking at this site creates salty wastewater, and while this wastewater includes a healthy dose of phosphorus and nitrogen — which acts as a natural fertiliser for the crops — it also contains sodium which needs to be diluted with fresh water to ensure crops and soil health remain sustainable for the life of the farm.
Fonterra Australia's regional operations manager for north and east Victoria Steve Taylor highlighted that the latest sustainability initiative at Stanhope promises the dual benefit of reducing sodium levels and freshwater consumption.
“We have invested in new membrane technology which recovers the cleaning chemicals that are used to flush and sanitise stainless steel processing equipment and milk silos,” Mr Taylor said.
“Caustic cleaning chemical is high in sodium and this recovery process to reuse the cleaning chemical reduces the amount of sodium in the wastewater by around 25 per cent.
“The new system will result in a reduction of 475 metric tonnes of sodium per year — equivalent to around 3.8 million table salt bottles and weighing as much as 235 large cars.”
Fonterra Stanhope manager Steve Taylor (right) with Steve Chapman and Rodney Hodges discuss waste recovery in the caustic recovery room at the Stanhope factory.
Mr Taylor said by reducing salt content in the wastewater, the factory needs less freshwater to dilute it.
“We expect that we will see a 20 per cent reduction in freshwater usage, saving approximately 165 million litres every year.
“Since 2018, we’ve reduced water consumption at our Australian factories by 11 per cent, with a target of 15 per cent by 2030.
“With the new equipment, our farm will be able to reduce its reliance on freshwater, and this will help to improve water security for our operations in northern Victoria and meet our sustainability goals.”
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