New tech makes water-saving splash

• Audit reveals where soft drink-maker was loosing pressure and wasting water
• Investment in € 10 000 closed-circuit pump slashes water consumption by 95 %  

SNEMBG manufactures and bottles soft drinks and distributes them in the French Antilles and continental France. Partnering with Ademe, the company wanted to cut its production cost and improve efficiency.

Ademe's audit showed that water was costing € 250 000 a year and the technology used to create the vacuum was water-intensive. A liquid ring pump creates vacuum by circulating water through a mechanism. To ensure sufficient vacuum for the process, the water is cooled. When used in an open circuit, water is lost.

After consulting several suppliers, SNEMBG decided to replace its pump with a more efficient closed-circuit model. Water can be recycled to produce vacuum in the pipes.

Key benefits

The new system cost the company € 10 000 but proved worth it, as water consumption could be reduced by 95 %. SNEMBG also set up sub-metering systems to detect water leaks faster.