Reuse of treated wastewater in the food industry finally possible!
This new decree, published in the Official Journal on 25 January 2024, sets out the terms and conditions for the reuse of treated wastewater in the food industry. Developing this practice will help to reduce drinking water consumption and preserve water resources, while ensuring the safety of food products.
Which types of water can be treated and reused in the food industry?
- recycled water from raw materials,
- recycled process water,
- recycled treated wastewater.
The decree specifies the conditions required for the use of treated wastewater for the preparation and preservation of foodstuffs and goods for human consumption, as well as for the cleaning of premises, installations and equipment.
Once treated, they can be used to wash ingredients, installations and equipment.
Please note that this water cannot be used as an ingredient in final foodstuffs.
The text specifies the terms concerning the reuse of treated water, such as water quality, approved uses, the responsibilities of those involved, follow-up and control obligations, declaration and authorisation procedures, etc.
This decree, which has been much awaited by manufacturers in the agri-food sector, will make it possible to:
- Facilitating access to the reuse of treated wastewater for agri-food manufacturers, by simplifying administrative procedures.
- Regulating the reuse of treated wastewater to ensure consumer health safety.
It comes after a previous decree published in August 2023, which facilitated the reuse of wastewater in sectors other than the food industry, authorising, for example, the use of treated water for irrigation, road washing, watering green spaces, industrial cleaning. Read our related article here.
Download the decree here n°2024-33 from January 24th 2024 and click here for the government press release.
The publication of this new decree is a major step forward for all manufacturers in the agri-food sector and for the preservation of resources. The water treatment technologies which ICE Water Management masters, such as ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis and closed-circuit reverse osmosis, guarantee the water quality required to meet the requirements of this new decree.
ICE Water Management is there to support you in all your water-saving, wastewater treatment and reuse projects. Don’t hesitate to contact our teams if you would like to find out more about the conditions for using our pilot CCRO equipment.
Reverse Osmosis, CCRO, ultrafiltration guarantee water quality for the reuse of treated wastewater in the food industry
February 2024