As global water scarcity intensifies, commercial greenhouse operations must pivot towards innovative solutions that not only conserve this precious resource, but also bolster operational efficiency. Advanced irrigation systems, rainwater harvesting, and intelligent water recycling mechanisms emerge as pivotal components for successful water circularity in greenhouse operations.

First approaching those conversations, however, can be difficult, as ever-shifting operational priorities keep greenhouse growers busy. But water circularity is not just an ideal to be targeted down the road, it’s an investment in your business’s, and the industry’s, future.

Here, we offer some food for thought and advice on integrating water circularity principles in greenhouse operations to help increase water efficiency and profitability.

Review Plans and Data

The first step in evaluating potential water-saving opportunities is to map out the current water system. Reviewing updated plumbing and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs) will help greenhouse operators understand currently installed equipment and how water flows through the facility.

Unless there are high levels of bicarbonates or other elements toxic to plants, most operations do not need to treat their incoming water with RO systems, with other filtration strategies able to more efficiently meet the facility’s needs.

“If you can remove a piece of hardware out of the whole system, that can help things as well,” Neff says. “When you have more hardware, you’re adding more complexity to the system, more things that break down. The last thing a facility manager wants is more complexity.”

In addition to reviewing P&IDs, Neff advises facility operators to also collect water usage data via flow meters. While the facility’s water meter will divulge how much water the entire facility uses in a given period, installing additional flow meters around the facility will offer a more granular view of how the facility uses that water. P&IDs will show where flow meters are installed, or where they may need to be added. Flow meters are relatively inexpensive and can greatly increase the visibility into any facility’s water use.