The spirit of cooperation and search for sustainable environmental solutions brought about a recent project at the Chivas Brothers’ Speyside distillery.
Researchers from the University of Aberdeen and James Hutton Institute recently worked with the team at The Glenlivet distillery to introduce environmentally sustainable solutions that address water scarcity and protect whisky production.
In a recent statement, project directors announced that among the nature-based measures are small dams in the landscape supplying the distillery, designed to capture water during wet periods and to make this available when water is scarce.
The project was led by PhD student Jessica Fennell, who now has a special “Fennell Reserve” whisky created by The Glenlivet in her honor. She said the project’s main goal is to help prevent the closure of the distillery during dry periods.
This summer’s deadly heat wave saw temperatures soar across Scotland, and hot, dry periods are predicted to become more frequent due to climate change.
Many distilleries have had to temporarily stop distilling in recent summers because of water shortages, costing the industry millions.
The project’s information noted that during the dry summer of 2018, groundwater supplies to The Glenlivet distillery decreased and did not replenish until the following spring.
After initially surveying the landscape to determine where dams would best protect groundwater supplies, the study team used a combination of field data collection and modeling tools to provide insights into how they operated once installed.
Trending Stories
Fennell said the results discovered the features they installed will have a small, but positive effect that could help increase water availability during periods of water scarcity and reduce flood peaks during high rainfall.
This, in turn, could prevent the distillery closing during dry periods, which could be a significant cost savings.
“Because these measures enhance groundwater recharge, and groundwater contribution to streams, our research has also raised the possibility of positive implications for water temperature,” said Dr. Josie Geris, from the university’s School of Geosciences. “This is important because distilleries require cool water, and groundwater is typically colder than surface water during summer.”
Geris noted that water scarcity may become a significant issue in Scotland in the future, and studies have shown that nature-based solutions offer a cost effective, environmentally beneficial approach to water resource management for this economically vital sector.
“As water temperature is expected to increase with climate change, more water will be needed to achieve the same cooling effects, and increased groundwater flow could help stabilize stream temperatures as well as increase flows through dry summer periods,” Geris added.
On the project, Geris supervised Jessica and is a co-author of the study, which was funded by NERC and Chivas Brothers, owners of The Glenlivet. Other co-authors include Dr. Mark Wilkinson from the James Hutton Institute and Dr. Ronald Daalmans, Environmental Sustainability Manager at Chivas Brothers.
Their findings have been published in the International Journal for River Basin Management.
Geris said that the lessons learned can also be applied to other areas of the economy that rely on private water supply and bring other potential benefits. “For example, in flood management, improvements to biodiversity and water quality, the restoration of upland habitats, and carbon storage.”
Daalmans said, “Our aim is to ensure all our distilleries operate within the local capacity of their catchment to provide water, particularly during low flows. This research has indicated that the land within the catchment could be used to help mitigate the impacts of climate change on water availability.”
He said this is important for the long-term viability of the distillery, and could also benefit the entire Scotch whisky industry, especially in upland areas. “We intend to continue monitoring the effect of the measures on water availability at this site over the long term.”
Latest News