World Water Day - La Brasserie Labatt innovates, saving enough water at its LaSalle brewery to fill 591 Olympic-sized pools

LASALLE, QC, March 22, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Labatt is taking advantage of World Water Day to highlight the contributions of its employees in implementing water conservation measures. In just a few years, the brewery has reduced the amount of water required to produce one bottle of beer by more than half.

"We care about water at Labatt," explains Jennifer Damiani, the brewery's Manager of Communications. "Because it's a precious resource, and because it's also critical to our beer-making process, we're constantly seeking opportunities to reduce our usage through innovation."

Tangible reduction measures

In recent years, Labatt employees in LaSalle have taken the initiative, getting creative to identify and implement water-saving opportunities, in the process reducing consumption by 57%—enough to fill 591 Olympic-sized swimming pools. "Today, United Nations World Water Day, we are proud to celebrate that achievement," Ms. Damiani said.

For example, the brewery has switched to a more efficient hot-water rinsing method that uses a by-product of another process so as not to have any impact on energy consumption. It also reclaims water for use in cooling and rinsing, and implemented regular microbiological tests to allow cleaning as and when required. These three innovations have saved 1.05 million hectolitres of water per year.

The LaSalle brewery is also the only one in the country with its own water treatment plant, which processes water drawn from the St. Lawrence River. This enables perfect control of the quality of water used.

Actions all across Canada

Employees of Labatt's six breweries across Canada (in Creston, B.C., Edmonton, Alta., London, Ont., Montreal, Que., Halifax, N.S., and St. John's, Nfld.) are taking part in the company's water-use reduction efforts. The overall result is that in just three years, they have implemented 815 innovative water conservation ideas and reduced consumption by 41%.

About Labatt Breweries of Canada

With a proud Canadian heritage going back to 1847, Labatt employs more than 3,000 people and operates six breweries that deliver over 60 quality brands to consumers. Budweiser, Bud Light, Labatt Bleue and Keith's are among the most popular products brewed by the company nationally and regionally. Labatt has owned a facility in LaSalle since 1956 and operates some 20 distribution centres in Quebec.

As an integral part of AB InBev, the world's leading brewer, which produces more than 200 fine beers, Labatt also makes world-renowned beers like Stella Artois, Brahma and Beck's available to customers across Canada.

Source: 

Jennifer Damiani
Manager of Communications
La Brasserie Labatt du Canada

Information:

Joëlle Paquette
Advisor
TACT Intelligence-conseil
Tel.: [phone], ext. 404
Cell: 438 825-7481
e-mail: [email protected]