California Company Offers Solution-Driven Services to Combat State Water Woes for Wine Industry

In 2014, Governor Jerry Brown signed the California Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) into law.

While many agree that significant gaps still exist with its implementation, SGMA requires high and medium priority groundwater basins throughout the state to develop groundwater sustainability plans that meet the law’s requirements within 20 years. Local stakeholders have until 2022 to develop, prepare, and begin implementation of Groundwater Sustainability Plans.

Nowhere is water management more of a critical issue than in the wine industry where water usage for agricultural and cleaning purposes is essential to its viability.

Fortunately, North Bay Equipment Service and Sales, which has been serving Northern California food and beverage industries under its parent company name Hotsy Pacific for the last 40 years, has developed solution-driven options to help the wine industry rethink water management strategies well into the future.

“Wineries need to clean and sanitize a variety of vessels and equipment throughout the normal course of doing business,” notes Jim O’Connell, Hotsy Pacific and North Bay Equipment President. “We focus on water reduction technology. For instance, barrel cleaning typically takes 15 to gallons of water per barrel. Our steam generator can sanitize that same barrel with 1 gallon of water – and reduce the need for chemical cleaning on larger volume tanks as well.” 

North Bay Equipment also offers a wide range of water recycling equipment options that are designed to clean and reuse wastewater.

According to O’Connell, the average amount of water to clean a large piece of agricultural equipment, like a tractor, is about 600 gallons. But using the pressure washers and steamers developed by North Bay Equipment, water usage is reduced by 60 percent to less than 240 gallons – and it is water that has been reclaimed and can be used over and over again.

“I’m proud to say we sell the best equipment, so it doesn’t take as much maintenance. But we’ll service anything and any piece of equipment you need help with. Water management is our expertise.”

North Bay Pacific specializes in water treatment, recovery and reuse technologies. Examples of equipment offered by the company include:

• ZCF Rec Filtration System – a powerful and flexible pumping filtration system that can serve as the hub of a wide range of water treatment, recycling and discharge options. [Picture 1]
• HBG30 Waste Water Evaporator – a conventional waste water evaporator with unique energy combustion chamber to evaporate up to 30 gallons of waste water per hour. [Picture 2]
• Compact CoAg System – for removing suspended solids, emulsified oils and precipitated metals from waste water. [Not Picture]

In addition, North Bay Equipment has developed an effective line of top-level disinfecting products to reduce infections and virus contamination, so critical to remaining in business during this Covid era.

The company’s VitalOxide disinfectant is a CDC-Approved and EPA-registered disinfectant cleaner, mold killer and odor eliminator that is proven to be effective against SARs-CoV-2 (Covid 19).

North Bay Equipment has developed a stellar reputation for its high quality products and extraordinary customer service that is based on what O’Connell calls its ability to sell solutions.

“We’re all in this together,” O’Connell asserts. “When we meet, I want to ask you ‘what’s your biggest problem?’ and then help you find a cost-effective solution that best serves your needs. We have to come together to solve our industry and environmental issues. We can do that best with collaboration.”

For more information and orders, go to https://HotsyPacific.net.