Water is the largest ingredient by volume in our portfolio of Brown-Forman consumer brands. We use water throughout the spirits production process, both in the product as well as to generate steam in the boilers and to cool the mash and whiskey at different steps along the way. We also use water in our wineries and in our vineyards for irrigation and frost protection. Naturally, we have a vested interest in ensuring not only the efficient use of water, but also the long-term sustainability of this vital resource.
Reducing the Amount of Water Used When Distilling Whiskey
To ensure we use water as efficiently as possible and manage our wastewater, we engage in projects such as improving the efficiency of our distilling processes and modifying our equipment to reduce the amount of water used when distilling whiskey, while also reducing the amount of wastewater discharged. For example, at Canadian Mist we reduced water use by 24 million gallons (a 27% reduction), while producing 3% more whiskey, from fiscal years 2006 to 2007.
Water Usage
[Measured in millions of gallons]
Cleaning and Restoring Water Bodies Adjacent to B-F Facilities
Protecting the bodies of water and resources surrounding our various facilities is extremely important at Brown-Forman. As a result, several water preservation and conservation projects have been implemented:
- Jack Daniel’s protects the Mulberry Creek and Cave Spring recharge area in Lynchburg, TN, to ensure water quality is maintained.
- To minimize the need for additional fresh water, the Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, TN, recirculates water in the cooling towers and has aggressive maintenance programs in place to minimize leaks and equipment malfunctions.
- Fetzer annually participates in the Russian River Cleanup, drawing hundreds of people dedicated to preserving some of the more than 100 miles of Russian River habitat.
Managing Wastewater and Turning Byproducts into Energy
Brown-Forman Tequila Mexico is installing a wastewater treatment system that will treat wastewater and distillation byproducts using anaerobic digestion. This wastewater treatment process produces methane gas, which will then be captured and used as boiler fuel. The project will reduce our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fuel use. We anticipate the production facility will reduce its GHG emissions by approximately 13% using this process.
Rain Barrels Benefit Headquarters City of Louisville, KY
Louisville Production Operations (LPO) partnered with the local Metropolitan Sewer District and other local agencies to provide used plastic barrels to homeowners to catch rain water, preventing overloads of storm water in municipal sewer systems. In addition, the collected rain water can be used for watering plants around the home, resulting in cost savings for local homeowners.
Employee Involvement
Employees are encouraged to become involved in water quality and conservation efforts. The Environment Matters Working Group organized and executed Brown-Forman’s first Earth Day global effort in April 2008. Employees were challenged to develop and implement activities with a theme around water conservation/clean water to promote a healthy, sustainable planet; projects that could directly benefit the communities where they live and work. Twenty teams of employees participated in the Earth Day efforts, sharing their stories, best practices, and positive results through our internal communications vehicles.
Read even more about our employees’ volunteer efforts in this sneak peak at Brown-Forman’s internal employee publication, Straight Up, where the latest issue focuses on the many efforts our employees around the globe are making toward environmental stewardship.