Cotswolds Distillery has officially unveiled its new bio-diverse Wetlands Ecological Treatment System on its distillery site. Generously funded by Berry Bros & Rudd, investors in the Cotswolds Distillery, the Wetlands will naturally process three quarters of the waste water from the Distillery’s whisky making, creating a bio-diverse habitat for local wildlife as well as reducing the amount of tanker trucks and local traffic. The construction of this system has taken a piece of land in the Cotswolds and turned it into a biodiverse haven for plants and wildlife.
The project began in May 2023 and the distillery worked with Living Water Ecosystems and RHS Chelsea Flower Show gold-medal winner, Rachael White Designs to construct this new ecological treatment facility – it forms a system of cells covering nearly two acres of former marshland at the distillery site and can process both the Spent Lees, the residual liquid left in the still after the second distillation and Wash Water waste, water used in the plant for rinsing tanks, floors and cleaning maintenance. It is believed that the creation of this system will reduce distillery waste by tens of thousands of litres per week.
The system uses a variety of plants and their natural biological processes to break down the chemical compounds deemed as contaminants in the waste streams. It has been carefully designed with multiple stages of plants which were bedded in August 2023 to acclimatise and have now begun processing waste liquid from the whisky making. The clean water from this new treatment system will be used to grow a coppice of willows which in turn will provide undisturbed shelter and habitat for wildlife.
The new wetlands site also includes a large area of untouched grassland and a wildflower area for pollinators and visitors to enjoy, as well as two new beehives to help the pollinator population. In time, new additions will be made to the site including bird boxes, pathways for visitors and more.
Dan Szor, Cotswolds Distillery founder, says: “We have been looking for ways to improve our waste management and a wetlands treatment system seemed like the perfect solution. Hopefully it will reinforce our position as a force for good within our local community as it allows us to be more environmentally friendly by cutting down on waste and waste transportation and at the same time creating a haven for wildlife.”
