Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/764739
actors. Some wineries, typically the state's largest producers with the deepest pockets, have implement- ed recycling technology and reused their treated wastewater for onsite landscape and vineyard irrigation. "I don't understand why [win- eries] wouldn't do this," says Rob Perman, director of operations at Free Flow Wines in Napa, Calif. "There's a lot of water to be had if you put in a reuse system. It's just a matter of putting in the effort and infrastructure." EXISTING WASTEWATER REUSE Based on experience in her region, Oberholster estimates half of California's roughly 4,600 winer- ies currently treat their wastewater onsite. "No numbers are available, but I estimate that about 50% of roducing a single gallon of wine, from grapes to bot- tling (not including vineyard demands), typically requires six gallons of water, depending upon winery-specific procedures. And since they're located in the most populated and highest water- consuming state in the nation, Californian winemakers have felt mounting environmental and eco- nomic pressures to reduce con- sumption and reuse wastewater. "There's a lot of interest every time I talk about this," says Anita Oberholster, cooperative exten- sion specialist at UC Davis. In California and other states that closely regulate winery wastewa- ter discharge, producers typically pay heavy municipal fees to dis- charge untreated wastewater, pay to truck waste to an offsite disposal facility, or employ an onsite treat- ment option that most commonly involves aeration lagoons or biore- AT A GLANCE BY JANICE CESSNA The BioFiltro wastewater management system is custom-sized and contains drainage basins, river cobble and wood shavings inoculated with bacteria and earthworms that work in tandem to clean wastewater. W astewater manag e m e nt i s essenti al, especially in drou gh t- s tri cken ar e as. + Onsite wastewater reuse saves disposal fees and freshwater costs. + Irrigating with reused wastewater doesn't affect vine health and wine quality. + New onsite treatment technologies offer cost-effective and low- maintenance options. + Appoint dedicated staff to research, implement and maintain a waste- water treatment system. 4 4 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | J a n - F e b 2 017 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m