THE WORKSHOP THAT RECOVERS EVEN THE BLUE GOLD

D’orica: New Water Treatment Plant Now Operational, Custom-Designed at the Request of the Vicenza-Based Jewelry Manufacturer

Could a company structured as a B Corp-certified Benefit Corporation possibly overlook the water resource crisis plaguing Italy, especially during the hottest months of the year? Of course not. In recent years, in fact, the issue has become increasingly pressing even in Northern Italy, considering that last year, due to climate change, rainfall was approximately 40% below the average of the past 30 years.

D’orica is well aware of the importance of this so-called “blue gold” and has taken concrete steps to optimize its production processes, investing between 2021 and 2022 in the design and construction of a new water treatment plant for its headquarters in Nove. The facility, currently in operation, not only enables the recovery and recycling of raw materials—primarily water—but also reduces the volume of wastewater discharged, daily energy consumption, and the energy required for the incineration of solid waste containing precious metals. This virtuous cycle results in a substantial optimization of water resources, which are almost entirely recycled within the company.

We are gradually moving closer to the goal of zero discharge, which means the near-total recycling of liquid effluents from manufacturing processes. Added to this are ever-decreasing volumes of treated effluent discharged into the sewer system, as well as a reduction in the volume of processing or treatment sludge, so that the on-site incineration process receives a nearly solid product with a low water content.

Some of the treatment systems in the current plant were also used in the previous one, but to a very limited extent; the new equipment commissioned by D’orica not only enhances the previous functions but also brings significant improvements in terms of automation, remote monitoring of key operating parameters, and a reduction in routine and non-routine maintenance.

Furthermore, an integral part of the plant consists of a section dedicated to the biological treatment of wastewater types that allow for it. This technical solution is, on a smaller scale, equivalent to the treatment performed for municipal and industrial wastewater in much larger facilities where no additional chemicals are added.

“Our investment was not intended to save on water bills,” points out Federico Zonta, CEO of the Vicenza-based company. “Economically speaking, in fact, the system will never pay for itself through water reuse. What this initiative has ensured, however, is a virtuous conservation of water resources—a commitment rooted in the environmental awareness that has always been one of the cornerstones of D’orica’s philosophy.”