Water is used for the watering and washing of livestock, the washing of trucks, the washing of carcasses and by-products, and for cleaning and sanitising of equipment and processing areas. Strategies for reducing water consumption can involve technological solutions, equipment improvement or procedure changes.

All three projects have been completed and final reports submitted. The projects for the application of steam to viscera tables and the water reuse system for beef tripe provided limited outcomes, reflecting opportunities for further research. The project on chiller cleaning demonstrated significant economies in the usage of water, energy and cleaning chemicals through the application of targeted manual cleaning procedures to beef carcase chillers. These benefits are also reflected in reduced volumes in total water and residual chemical in waste water discharge.