Restaurants 'Rinse and Save'

Pre-rinse spray valve exchange trial program

Yarra Valley Water is helping restaurants to cut their water usage. As part of a trial program, Yarra Valley Water has been providing commercial kitchens with new water-efficient ‘pre-rinse spray valves’ to replace their old valves, which can use two to three times more water.

What is a pre-rinse spray valve?

Restaurants and commercial kitchens host a number of water-hungry devices, from dishwashers to water-cooled ice machines and wok stoves. The pre-rinse spray valve (also known as pre rinse spray gun) is a common appliance in commercial kitchens that is used for rinsing crockery and cookware prior to cleaning. Older designs generally use upwards of 12 litres per minute, while newer models can use less than 5 litres per minute. The ‘knife edge’ design of most new valves means they can also rinse more efficiently, potentially reducing cleaning times.

What is the 'Rinse and Save' trial program?

In the trial program, Yarra Valley Water assisted five commercial kitchens by replacing their old pre-rinse spray valve. These kitchens were located at a variety of facilities including restaurants, hotels and aged care facilities.

As part of the trial program Yarra Valley Water exchanged the rinsing device and also conducted a quick kitchen audit to identify other ways for the businesses to save water. The average savings per site were estimated to be approximately 80,000 litres per year.

William Wong of Jade Village Chinese Restaurant in Mitcham is pleased with the results of the trial. “You can tell just by looking at the spray that the new valve uses a lot less water than the old one. It makes the cleaning much faster as well.”

What are the benefits?

• Reduced water consumption for rinsing and washing.
• Improved rinsing and cleaning performance.
• Identification of ways to improve water efficiency in other areas of the kitchen.

Get your free Pre Rinse Spray Gun now!

Based on the success of this trial program, Yarra Valley Water is offering free exchanges of existing pre rinse spray valves through the Support 155 business program. This offer is only available for a short time.

The current exchange is exclusively part of the Support 155 business audits. To register for your free pre rinse spray gun and to access an extensive range of other free solutions for your business click here.

Further information

Restaurants in Yarra Valley Water's region that are interested in finding out more information are encouraged to email katerina.bletsas@yvw.com.au with your business details or contact her directly on (03) 9872 1850.