The dairy and agriculture sector is one of the most heavily regulated in terms of its hygiene standards due to the need for strict disease control and the volume of produce that is used as food, such as milk or eggs. Water is also used as part of the growth and management of crops, the cleaning a sterilising of farm equipment and the cooling and storage of fresh produce.

In the UK, it takes almost 41 billion litres of water to produce one year’s worth of milk. This is because it is an essential part of keeping cattle healthy so that they produce high volumes of good quality milk that is fit to be sold for human consumption. Part of this huge volume of water is to keep dairy sheds clean and to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria that could have catastrophic consequences for a farm if a herd was to be affected.

The sheer volume of the water being wasted by this sector gives it a large scope for potential improvements. Pys.org wrote that “Over 60 per cent of producers” use water inefficiently in the UK alone. According to a study conducted by the Michigan State University, 70% of the water used by the global population goes into the agriculture sector. As a result, there is a consensus within the industry that more needs to be done to eradicate the volume of wastewater that is lost every year as it’s predicted that in the future, water scarcity will be a major issue for the planet as a whole.