We’ve tasted the water when it comes in, and it’s really good water
Introduction
Institutions are seeking new ways to recycle and reuse water as the global water crisis grows. Four billion people already experience water scarcity at least one month a year, and half of the world’s population could experience shortages by as early as 2025.
As pioneers in the water technology industry, Grundfos continuously seeks opportunities to provide innovative solutions to businesses and communities across the globe impacted by water issues. As part of that commitment, Grundfos subsidiary MECO acquired San Diego-based Water Works in 2023 to strengthen its ultrapure water treatment portfolio.
Water Works is partnering with the East Village Brewing Company and the San Diego International Airport (SDIA) to collect, transport, purify, and reuse water run-off from jetway condensate. Now in its fifth year, the project inspires other organizations to use circular economy principles to reuse water and reduce their environmental impact.
The opportunity
John Wammes, Senior Business Advisor, and former President and CEO of Water Works, and Aaron Justus, a brewmaster at the East Village Brewing Company, are long-time friends and collaborators. They are also dedicated to finding and promoting sustainability efforts in their community, especially around water conservation and reuse, so that others can learn about and apply these practices.
Water is an essential part of the beer brewing process. Where water comes from and how it is treated can dramatically change how a beer batch tastes, looks, and even feels. Wammes and Justus recognized this as an opportunity to change the public perception of reclaimed water. They decided to create a unique product to build awareness of the need for more water capture and treatment systems and promote reclaimed water’s quality, safety, and diverse uses. And they already knew where this water could come from.
80 million gallons of potable water are purchased by the San Diego International Airport (SDIA) each year. The San Diego Regional Airport Authority, which operates the SDIA, was among the first major US airports to implement a sustainability policy.
Pre-conditioned air units (PCAs) that are used to cool passengers as they walk onto planes drip pure, low-mineral water onto the tarmac, creating algae and causing slip hazards. In recent years, an average of 100,000 gallons of condensate has been collected annually from the airport’s most heavily used jet bridge systems. The Airport Authority was already collecting condensate and stormwater and reusing both to supply cooling towers, wash fleet vehicles, and irrigate the surrounding land. Thus, partnering with the brewery to provide reclaimed water to create new beer varieties was a logical collaboration.
The solution
The airport uses plastic tanks near the jetways to capture condensate. Water Works leverages a Grundfos SCALA2 pump to pump the condensate into its trucks and return it to the Water Works facility. Grundfos SCALA2 pumps booster pumps that transfer water from one source to another and utilize intelligent controls that automatically adapt to varying inlet water pressure and total water consumption. They are commonly used to collect groundwater, harvest rainwater, and to facilitate consistent water pressure across all taps, at all times.
Water Works cleans the condensate with a strong oxidant that bubbles and produces oxygen gas, kills residual bacteria, and oxidizes remaining organics, metals or minerals.
The water is then run through a carbon filter to destroy any remaining ozone before delivery to the brewery, where it is put into a hot water tank and heated to 175ºF.
“We’ve tasted the water when it comes in, and it’s really good water,” says Justus. “When water is pure, it’s fun to brew with. You get a blank slate and can create a recipe for beer that’s clean and refined, whether it’s a lager or IPA. In addition, the RO process ensures consistency across all batches. If we could make all our beers with treated condensate, we would.”
In 2022, Hoppy Travels IPA and Pre-Flight Pilsner were released at the East Village Brewing Company. And in 2023, the partners produced about 1,200 gallons of beer, reissuing Hoppy Travels IPA and offering a new seasonal release, Cruising Ale-titude. The beer was also made available at SDIA’s Terminal 2 concessions area.
“Part of our business plan is to do out-of-the-box collaborations to show people that we don’t just talk the talk: We walk the walk,” says Wammes, “People’s eyes light up when we say this beer is made from reclaimed water condensate and that the purity of the water is better than what you get out of the tap. It also opens the door to conversations with other industry companies about how they can reuse water.”
A new path forward
As water scarcity issues grow worldwide, industrial companies are searching for new solutions to recover and reuse water. The Grundfos family of companies is rising to meet these needs.
MECO is a world leader in engineering and manufacturing water purification solutions for various industries, including the pharmaceutical and food and beverage sectors. Water Works provides ultrapure water solutions to life science and biopharmaceutical customers.
Grundfos is an industry leader in pioneering solutions that address the world’s water and climate challenges and improve quality of life for people. The company’s intelligent, highefficiency pumping solutions for industry and residential use reduce energy consumption, enable water treatment and reuse, and optimize end-to-end processes.
Check out the links below to learn more about Grundfos, MECO, and Water Works capabilities.
Grundfos: grundfos.to/kOCwJD
MECO: grundfos.to/MECO-FandB
WaterWorks: grundfos.to/WaterWork
The Grundfos Group is the first water solutions provider to receive full validation of its net-zero science-based targets from the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Grundfos also validated its 2030 science-based targets, which will serve as a significant milestone in its efforts to achieve a net-zero future.