Anheuser-Busch Cutting Down Water Consumption at Van Nuys Brewery
In recent years, water efficiency and energy usage has been a hot topic. With issues like the California drought and global warming at the forefront of many minds, it’s no wonder that finding solutions is a top priority of many companies. One of those companies is Anheuser-Busch, who will spend upwards of $20 million to make their Van Nuys brewery more water efficient.
One of many improvements being made to the brewery is the ability to better measure and track water usage throughout the brewery. This will allow the company to target specific areas in which they can cut back. The company has already shelled out $8 million in water conservation projects since 2009, so far reducing their consumption by about 32%. Cooling towers, which were developed to recycle up to 98% of water wasted, have also helped reduce water and energy use.
This construction project will also create numerous jobs, benefiting the local economy in addition to the added efficiency. In addition to this project, the company will be funding other sustainability and efficiency projects, estimating expenses at around $720 million, all of which will have effects that ripple into each community they serve.
The move is actually greatly beneficial to the company, according to economist William W. Roberts. In fact, it will be good for the entire area.
“This will be a really large construction job for one of the largest employers in the Valley, so across the board this is a good thing. It’s definitely middle-class incomes,” Roberts said.
Meanwhile, the company is just focused on doing a public service. With California’s drought, everyone needs to be more conscious of their choices. General Manager of the Los Angeles branch, Luis Cayo, released a statement on the improvements saying just that.
“We are always asking ourselves how we can do our jobs better, and these investments reflect our efforts to be water and energy-efficiency leaders in the state of California,” Cayo said.
