Category

Water Monitoring System

Category

As part of the negative effects of environmental pollution, the bioavailability of water is today a great problem that worries the whole world.

In the food sector, and specifically for the food safety area, the use and management of this valuable resource is a challenge, since the rational use of drinking water can be decisive, even in terms of business profitability. Also, the Water Control Plan is part of the Prerequisite Program that covers possible risks in the food area.

On the other hand, it is also necessary to be precise with the concept of “water quality”: if we think of the food industry, we require water for cleaning food, for the process of preparing a final food, or for sanitation of the infrastructure, among others; and for each of these uses the type of water we require is different.

In this article, we address the two aspects: how to optimize the use of drinking water and how to rationalize the use of water in the food industry.

How to optimize a rational use of drinking water

Water is essential for food and nutrition security, be it from a domestic to an industrial scale.

Water Monitoring Systems Use

These Are Some Control Strategies, Depending On The Different Scenarios:

Generate a “water culture”. That is to say, promoting at all levels of the organization a commitment to responsibility regarding the rational use of water. All and absolutely everyone, we are responsible and we can do things to take care of water. As a consequence of a critical spirit, we must ask ourselves when we need clean water and when we don’t.

Water versus energy. In the case of industries, water is closely linked to energy generation. In food safety, in turn, cleaning and disinfection processes usually require potable water, or, failing that, processes that ensure the elimination of microorganisms. If we think about temperature control systems, such as pasteurization, water consumption can be very important: the design of the process, the machinery involved, and their arrangement, among others, should be part of our priorities.

Development Of The Drinking Water Networks Control And Management System

For the development of the system, several aspects were defined, such as the boundaries between the system and the external environment of the project. Scopes and boundaries were identified, as well as the parameters in which the objectives and expectations were defined were established.

Therefore, for the development of this system, a methodology was established with which the system can be fed back in its different phases, and at the same time have a systematic development for this project.

The Methodology Used Was Integrated With The Following Phases:

  • Preliminary studies
  • Analysis and design
  • Development and execution
  • Implantation
  • Production and Maintenance

Quality Criteria For Water For Human Consumption

Water quality refers to the sanitary criteria that must be met so that its use does not pose a risk to human health. These quality criteria are based on quality parameters, whose values ​​cannot be exceeded, which are included in Annex I of RD 140/2003. They can be classified as:

Microbiological Quality Criteria

  • Chemical quality criteria
  • Physical quality criteria
  • Organoleptic quality criteria.
  • Sources of water supply

The water control plan must clearly state which is the company’s water supply source, as it will condition the rest of the actions of the plan. In practice, three situations are distinguished:

  • Food companies connected to a public distribution network.
  • Food companies are connected to a public distribution network with a deposit at their facilities.
  • Food companies are supplied totally or partially with water from their sources or catchments.