Complying with environmental rules for produce wash water can be costly and time-consuming

It took one grower three years and $20,000-$25,000, but the ministry says it is trying to streamline the process

by SUSAN MANN

The growers at Downey Potato Farms didn’t wait for Environment Ministry officials to come calling before installing measures for handling produce wash water.

Trevor Downey, vice-president of sales and marketing, says they built the system two years ago partly to recycle the daily water use on the Shelburne-area farm, meet food safety and their own Environmental Farm Plan requirements, and get ahead of the environment ministry’s rules. They recycle up to 70 per cent of the water they use daily.

Better Farming - February 2012