This project addresses the reduction of blue water consumption in a winery through the implementation of an internal reuse system based on the advanced treatment of wastewater generated during the cleaning of tanks, equipment, and surfaces. The technological approach is based on a high-performance physical-electronic reactor that, without using chemicals, achieves microbiological deactivation and a significant reduction of organic contaminants present in post-wash water. The system operates using high-frequency waves that induce controlled resonance processes, altering the structure of microorganisms such as bacteria, yeasts, and fungi, and interfering with the stability of complex organic molecules such as anthocyanins or protein residues.
Unlike traditional disinfection methods, this technology does not require additional inputs such as chlorine, peroxides, or membrane filters, which reduces operating costs, avoids risks of corrosion or sensory impact on the product, and extends the useful life of the system’s components. The solution is suitable for medium-scale wineries, integrating modularly and automatically into existing systems without requiring major infrastructure works.
As a result, there is a net reduction in the intake of new water, lower effluent generation, and operational improvement in terms of sustainability, traceability, and environmental compliance—particularly relevant in wine regions with overexploited aquifers and increasingly strict discharge regulations. This model can be replicated in other agro-industrial facilities with seasonal wet production logic.
Wineries experience high peaks of water consumption during harvest season, with a large portion used for cleaning operations such as rinsing tanks, process lines, floors, and contact surfaces. This concentrated consumption becomes critical in regions with limited water availability, where usual sources—such as a groundwater aquifer—are overexploited and show sustained declines in recharge capacity.
The effluents generated from these tasks present a significant contaminant load, predominantly organic, including yeasts, must residues, anthocyanins, proteins, potassium, and detergent traces. Although this mixture has low toxic load, it represents a loss of treatable resource and an environmental problem if discharged untreated.
Currently, the lack of internal recirculation creates double pressure: on the one hand, on local aquifers due to high intake; on the other, on external treatment systems, which must handle large volumes without prior valorization. Adding to this is a persistent technological barrier: most available treatment and reuse solutions require chemicals, intensive maintenance, or complex infrastructure, making them unattractive or unfeasible for medium-sized wineries. This combination of factors has hindered the adoption of circular water schemes, perpetuating an unsustainable linear use model.
The implemented solution is a modular physical-electronic treatment system (chemical-free) that allows water to be recovered and reused within the same operation. It is especially effective in coastal contexts such as Valparaíso, Chile, where wineries face challenges related to seasonal scarcity, aquifer salinization, and stricter environmental regulations.
The technology operates through the generation of high-frequency pulses that induce molecular resonance in microorganisms and organic compounds present in the wastewater. This process alters cellular and chemical structures, deactivating pathogens and breaking down organic matter without modifying the water’s mineral properties or leaving residues. The operation is continuous, automatic, and requires only electrical power, allowing for stable control and very low maintenance.
In the context of Valparaíso, where many wineries depend on wells or rural drinking water connections in semi-arid zones, this solution enables more than 50% reduction in water withdrawal for cleaning. It also improves wineries’ capacity to comply with discharge standards set by the Superintendence of the Environment and lowers costs associated with transportation or external treatment of effluents.
The treated water is intended for non-critical tasks such as floor washing, harvest tray cleaning, or external equipment cleaning, thus freeing up higher-quality water for enological or sanitary uses. This resource use hierarchy, supported by a chemical-free treatment system, represents an advanced water efficiency strategy with high replicability potential throughout the Aconcagua Valley and other productive zones of central Chile’s coast.
The implemented system comprises a wastewater collection unit from the winery’s cleaning processes, connected to an inline physical-electronic treatment module. This technology is based on the application of high-frequency electromagnetic fields that induce resonance in water molecules and their contaminants, enabling the deactivation of microorganisms (yeasts, bacteria, fungi) and the breakdown of organic molecular chains without generating chemical by-products or altering the ionic composition of the treated water.
The solution operates fully automatically, with integrated sensors that measure key parameters such as flow, pressure, conductivity, temperature, and turbidity, sending data to a remote monitoring platform with historical recording and operational alert capacity. The system also includes a closed recirculation loop that redistributes treated water to defined use points for non-critical cleaning tasks within the winery, such as floor washing, agricultural tool rinsing, harvest trays, or outdoor areas.
Thanks to its compact and modular design, the technology adapts to tight spaces and does not require major civil works or additional structures, facilitating its implementation in medium-sized facilities in regions with physical or regulatory limitations for large-scale interventions.
Monitoring plan
Monitoring is performed at several levels:
Partnerships or implementing actors
This project proposes to comprehensively transform water management in a winery located in the Valparaíso Region of Chile through the implementation of an advanced technological solution for water reuse. This solution is based on the on-site treatment of water used during cleaning tasks, allowing its recovery and subsequent recirculation without the need for chemical additives.
The intervention takes place in the Aconcagua River Basin, one of the most affected by water stress in central Chile, where aquifers have undergone progressive degradation due to overexploitation, declining precipitation, and reduced snow accumulation. This scenario is compounded by increasing regulatory pressure from environmental and health authorities, requiring productive actors to adopt more efficient and sustainable management models.
The process begins with the collection of wastewater generated during the cleaning of equipment, tanks, and processing areas. These waters, which contain traces of organic matter (must, yeasts, anthocyanins), are directed to a physical-electronic treatment unit that operates by generating high-frequency electromagnetic fields. These fields induce molecular resonance phenomena that deactivate pathogenic agents and break down organic structures without altering the saline composition or the temperature of the water.
The system operates continuously, is compact, does not require reagents, and produces no residual sludge. It is fully automated for integration with remote monitoring platforms. The treated water is then reused for non-critical tasks such as washing floors, carts, harvest trays, or patios, while higher quality water is reserved exclusively for enological processes. This resource use hierarchy allows for internal operational optimization and reduces pressure on the source of water withdrawal.
The implemented solution enables a reduction of between 50% and 70% in water extraction for cleaning purposes, significantly lowers discharge volumes, and improves regulatory compliance, while also strengthening the company’s environmental reputation among customers, regulators, and the community. In addition, its integration with water traceability platforms such as Aqua Positive allows for the quantification and registration of Volumetric Water Benefits (VWBs), enabling their future valorization as water credits or as direct contributions to corporate targets under frameworks such as the Science-Based Targets for Nature.
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