The extended drought, and the probability of climate change causing more frequent drought periods, has resulted in a drive within the Australian meat industry to reduce water consumption at meat processing plants. Coupled with this reduction in water consumption there is a focus in the meat processing industry to minimise energy consumption.

The disposal of high salinity brine from membrane-based water treatment is problematic for most meat industry operations. There is a trend for municipal water authorities to tighten the salinity thresholds of wastewater discharges that will be received by their wastewater treatment plants. As a consequence there is a need to consider alternate beneficial uses for the high salinity brine streams within the meat processing operation