Aquabio wins Water Reuse Europe innovation award

Worcester-based Aquabio Ltd − in conjunction with Bakkavor − has been awarded the inaugural Water Reuse Europe award for the Most Innovative Water Reuse Scheme at the association’s annual conference in Bruges, Belgium.

The award recognises Aquabio’s water reuse solution at Bakkavor’s Cucina Sano site in Boston, Lincolnshire, UK − where Bakkavor produces Italian ready meals for Marks & Spencer − as a project at the forefront of water reuse practice in Europe.

The new installation, which became fully operational in December 2016, enables more than 80 per cent of the water used to be safely recycled. It has also cut traffic flow to and from the site eliminating approximately 130 road tankers per week. The plant treats up to 700,000 litres per day and up until September 2017, more than 72.35 per cent of wastewater received from the factory has been reused, a total of 123 million litres.

The judges highlighted a number of key elements of the project which resulted in it receiving the award. These included:

• the scheme delivers the highest percentage of reuse of treated wastewater back to the factory of any large-scale food production site in Europe
• reuse water is returned to the factory for general use in all potable grade supplies, including for food production, ingredients, canteen and softened water
• it has been implemented in one of the most risk averse business sectors − food production − significantly contributing to changing corporate and public perception about the viability of large scale water reuse by multi-national food producers
• the project makes use of the advanced low energy MBR technology and RO system, with UV and chlorine dosing.

Steve Goodwin, Managing Director of Aquabio said, 'We are absolutely delighted that the plant has been recognised as a project at the forefront of water reuse practice in Europe. As such it is a highly successful and ground breaking industrial water reuse project.'

Paul Jeffrey, Chairman of Water Reuse Europe, commented, 'In showcasing the best that Europe has to offer in the rapidly growing water reuse sector we were looking for projects and solutions which deliver innovation, operational efficiencies, and reliability. Despite tough competition from across Europe, the Aquabio submission offered the clearest evidence of these criteria.'

Bakkavor is the UK’s leading provider of fresh prepared foods. Aquabio is part of the Freudenberg Group, a global company based in Germany which operates in 60 countries worldwide.