Greeley says wastewater billing change saves WeldWerks 10% to 15%
The system subtracts water that leaves as finished beer from the brewery’s wastewater bill, using production data it already reports. The city says it is sharing the approach with other local beverage producers.
The City of Greeley says a wastewater billing system is now saving WeldWerks 10% to 15% on its wastewater costs.
Under the system, WeldWerks is billed only for water that becomes wastewater, with no new meters or extra equipment required, the city says. Greeley says the brewery achieved those savings without investing in new infrastructure.
Greeley says it created an annual reporting system that subtracts from a brewery’s total water use the gallons that become beer and leave Greeley as a finished product. Breweries already report the volume of water used in beer production for state and federal regulations, and WeldWerks shared its existing data with the city. Greeley’s Water and Sewer team and WeldWerks worked together on the solution. “Our goal is to listen first, then design solutions that make sense for both our operations and the unique needs of the businesses we serve,” said Sean P. Chambers, director of Greeley Water & Sewer Utilities.
The City of Greeley says it traditionally charged breweries for wastewater based on the total amount of water supplied to their facilities. WeldWerks pointed out that a large share of brewery water leaves the building as finished beer rather than going down the drain, the city says. The city says breweries were often billed for wastewater they did not produce, which it described as costly and unfair.
Greeley says it is beginning to share the solution with other local beverage producers. The city says the approach sets a precedent for other breweries across the region and industry.