Lincoln brewery wins major award for using recycled wastewater on their crops

When your brewery sits on the same lot as eight acres of hops and orchards, all of which need regular watering, conservation and innovation becomes key.

Bench Brewing in the Beamsville area of Lincoln knows that all too well and when they embraced new technology to recycle wastewater into water suitable for irrigating those same hops and orchards, the Water Canada Awards (WCA) took notice when they held their annual meeting on Friday (June 9).

Bench was honoured in the Wastewater Category by WCA for a “wastewater project that uses new technology or a creative approach to effectively create/improve/rehabilitate/restore new infrastructure or an existing legacy asset.”

The group noted, “Econse’s innovative wastewater recycling system for Bench Brewing Co. is a game-changer in the sustainability and water conservation landscape. The system is the first of its kind, and enables the Brewery to recycle 100 per cent of their wastewater for irrigating hops and orchards.”

“This ensures that no wastewater is released into local waterways and reduces the strain on the environment. The brewery is located in the Niagara region, an area that is particularly sensitive to water conservation.”

The WCA added that the Econse’s system “is a fraction of the size and cost of traditional biological treatment systems, making it an affordable and accessible solution for water-intensive industries. The system was initially installed in 2019 and will be upgraded in 2023 to accommodate the doubling of production without any major infrastructure changes, keeping within the same footprint.”

Lincoln CAO Mike Kirkopoulos lauded the local brewery for “their pioneering use of Econse’s wastewater recycling system. Their approach showcases a groundbreaking method of sustainability in water-intensive industries.”

​Bench’s home in the Twenty Valley area is considered some of Ontario’s finest agricultural land with orchards, vineyards, and produce farms that provide “the ideal location for making premium quality beer which reflect our local terroir.”