Closed-loop water, open-ended craft
A factory tour with Steve Vanhinsbergh
A few weeks ago, we shared how sustainability is built into our stone fabrication process. Today, we’re going deeper into the one resource that keeps a stone factory moving: water.
In this short video, Steve Vanhinsbergh takes you around our facility to show exactly how we manage water from our manufacturing processes; how it’s collected, cleaned, and returned to the factory so we can keep producing without unnecessary waste.
It starts under your feet. Much of our factory floor is intentionally sloped, directing water towards a drainage channel that runs the full length and width of the building. The system is designed to keep things moving. A continuous flow is maintained via hoses so the water doesn’t settle and silt up.
From there, the water is fed through pipework to the workshop as part of a ring main that delivers clean recycled water, plus air, around the factory. This means the team can connect machines and tools as needed, efficiently and consistently, without relying on a fresh mains supply for every process.
Outside the workshop, the real transformation happens. The used water is pumped into the settlement and processing equipment, where it’s separated in a cone system. A flocculent is added to help particles bind together, and gravity carries the water through filter bags, allowing clean water to drain out and return to the system.
What’s left is slurry, which we collect and dispose of responsibly.
And we don’t stop at process water. We also harvest rainwater from the roof, storing it in a tank holding 72,000 litres, helping keep the factory running while reducing demand on the mains water supply.
This is sustainability as a working system: engineered into the building, maintained daily, and designed to support the standard of quality we’re known for. If you’re specifying stone for a project, we’re always happy to talk through the most efficient, long-lasting solution.
