Water quantity auditing of a Ghanaian beverage plant

Abstract

The study aimed at conducting a water quantity audit in a Ghanaian beverage plant. Primary data on the daily volumes of input water from the main reservoirs of the plant, daily volumes of beverage produced and the water consumed at the 8 metered stages of the plant out of a total of 12 stages were recorded over a period of four months. Secondary data on the plant's monthly water consumption was obtained from Ghana Water Company Limited billing records for the period January 2005 to December 2009. The study revealed that, the average monthly water consumption was 9,825 m3 with a standard deviation of (±1,399) in the past five years (2005–2009). Stages with high water usage in the plant were the Syrup and Beverage Preparation stage (55%) and the Bottle Washer Equipment stage (34%). Furthermore, the plant's specific water consumption determined was 3.5 : 1 which is better than the company's target of 4 : 1. This indicates that the plant's current water use efficiency is good and therefore encouraging.