DRIP - A triple-helix interdisciplinary innovation partnership between major water end-users from the food and beverage industry, water technology providers, knowledge partners and authorities has shown ways to create effective solutions to improvement of water efficiency in the food industry without compromising on food safety. The partnership aims at a paradigm shift in industrial water efficiency through demonstration and implementation of a water-fit-for-purpose concept to use significantly less water of drinking water quality and increasingly use recycled and reclaimed water. Ensuring the quality of water throughout its use is of paramount importance to secure food safety and product quality. Having Danish food and environment authorities as associated partners in the project allowed for a positive co-operation and dialogue with a focus at very early stages on important considerations regarding regulation.

While water savings and reuse are the starting point for initiation of pilot and full-scale projects in the partnership, other factors like e.g. associated energy and resource savings and released wastewater treatment plant capacity are also key to provide business cases with attractive payback times. Comprehensive mappings of resource flows in terms of water, energy, materials, products and waste through the factories (brewery, poultry abattoir, pig and cattle slaughterhouses, meat processing plants, fishmeal, dairy) provided the foundation for developing attractive scenarios for increased water efficiency. 20 of the most promising scenarios have been further matured into pilot and full-scale implementation projects. Estimates for the DRIP pilot and full-scale projects show that the entire project portfolio has a total water savings potential of 25 % when fully implemented in full-scale operations.

The partnership consists of 18 partners from the food industry, technology providers and knowledge partners. The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and the Danish EPA are associated partners. The partnership is funded by Innovation Fund DK.