Investigation of the water use ratio and the importance of Christchurch aquifers to the food and beverage industry

Abstract

Understanding the socio-economic value of freshwater in Christchurch has emerged as long-term development plans for the city ensues with attempts being made to better understand this natural resource and the value it adds to business operations. However, understanding the socio-economic value of this resource can be quite complex due to the issues surrounding freshwater use and management in Christchurch. Nonetheless, this research investigates the water use ratios and importance of the Christchurch freshwater supply to the food and beverage industry. Telephone interviews with the use of a questionnaire were conducted with 80 companies, purposely selected from within the food and beverage sector. The results from the data collected indicate that water is very important to food and beverage business operations and that the quality of freshwater is one of the key reasons for these businesses choosing to establish and operate in Christchurch. Moreover, the research also finds that the analysis conducted was limited to some degree as most companies failed to provide the necessary data to investigate the water use ratios for the food and beverage industry.