RESULTS
6.4.1 Waste water
Part of the water used by our production facilities is converted into beer and soft
drinks. The rest is discharged as waste water and contains organic materials, the con
centration of which is expressed by the chemical oxygen demand (COD). The specific
COD load ('specific' in the sense of 'per unit of product') is an internal parameter for
the degree of waste water contamination before treatment. This parameter is deter
mined by losses of product and by-products.
The specific COD load of the waste water discharged by our breweries
decreased from 1.3 kg per hi of beer in 2000 to 1.2 kg in 2001. These reductions were
achieved by various breweries through process improvements and by more accurate
measurement of the degree of contamination. Process improvements at our breweries
in Poland, for example, achieved substantial reductions in extract losses.
The specific COD load presented by the waste water discharged by our maltings
decreased from 9.7 kg per tonne of malt in 2000 to 6.5 kg in 2001, reflecting improve
ments in the production processes achieved through more efficient monitoring
and better analysis procedures. A new anaerobic waste-water treatment plant entered
service at our brewery/malting in Seville (Spain) in 2001. The specific COD load
for our soft-drink production units remained unchanged at 0.2 kg per hi of product.
Some waste water is treated at on-site plants and some is treated externally.
At 29 locations it is discharged into surface water without treatment. We are planning
to build waste-water treatment plants at some 20 production locations in the years
ahead. The effluent from our breweries, maltings and soft-drink production units (treat
ed and untreated) which is discharged into surface water imposes a total COD load of
23,400 tonnes.
Specific water consumption - breweries
hl/hl 0.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
target
2004
5.20
2003
5.30
2002
5.50
2001
5.70
2000
6.10
1999
6.61
HEINEKEN REPORT 2000-2001 SAFETY, HEALTH ENVIRONMENT
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