Turning Tomatoes into Water: Botanical Water Technologies and Ingomar Packing Replenish the CCID Canal in Drought-Stricken San Joaquin ValleyLos...
Published on by Christoper Wischer, Chief Commercial Officer at Botanical Water Technologies
Los Banos, California, October 2025 — In the heart of California’s drought-stricken San Joaquin Valley, Botanical Water Technologies (BWT) and Ingomar Packing Company (Ingomar) have delivered a breakthrough in sustainable water stewardship. Together, they are replenishing purified, plant-sourced water into the Central California Irrigation District (CCID) canal network, demonstrating a scalable, locally sourced approach to water replenishment in the Valley.
This initiative utilizes BWT’s patented Water Harvest Units (WHUs) to capture, purify, and repurpose the natural water contained in tomatoes during processing at Ingomar’s Los Banos facility. Instead of being lost as steam or wastewater, this water is purified to a high quality and redirected into CCID’s canal system, where it supports farms, communities, and groundwater recharge.
California’s Water Crisis: Every Drop Counts
The San Joaquin Valley has been at the epicentre of California’s water challenges. In 2022, over 1,000 wells went dry, with Merced County among the hardest hit.
Despite intermittent rainfall, groundwater, a critical fallback during dry years, remains overdrawn and slow to recharge, leaving farms and rural communities in crisis.
Against this backdrop, innovations like this represent vital steps forward. This is a crucial time for new solutions that can supply households or irrigate farmland, while showcasing the scalable potential of food-based water recovery.
“Merced Country is in a very severe drought and the ability to be able to provide clean potable water to our community is critically important.” said Anna Caballero, California State Senator.
Scaling Impact:
A standard WHU can recover over 150,000 gallons per day, the equivalent of one acre-foot every 2 to 3 days during processing season. When scaled across California’s tomato, fruit, and wine processing industries, the potential recovery runs into millions of acre-feet annually, enough to transform the water resilience of the Valley.
“Tomatoes are 95% water, by recovering and returning water that already exists within our food systems, we're demonstrating how technology and partnerships can strengthen both community resilience and environmental health. This is just the beginning of what’s possible when industry collaborates to grow water,” said Terry Paule, Founder & CEO of Botanical Water Technologies.
This approach can be replicated across other processing sites, offering lasting benefits for surrounding communities and supporting environmental restoration through improved groundwater recharge. BWT and Ingomar plan to expand this initiative in future processing seasons, aligning with regional sustainability goals and local water management programs.
The replenished water is tracked and verified through Philo Exchange (PhiloX), a blockchain-enabled platform able to verify and report every drop returned to the environment. This supports corporate sponsors and partners on their Water Stewardship journeys.
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About Botanical Water Technologies (BWT)
BWT has developed patented Water Harvest Units (WHUs) that turn agricultural and food processing condensate into safe, sustainable plant-sourced drinking water, helping corporates reach water-positive goals and supporting vulnerable communities. Its blockchain-powered Philo Exchange (PhiloX) ensures transparent, verifiable impact reporting. More at www.wegrowwater.com
About Ingomar Packing Company (Ingomar)
Ingomar, based in Los Banos, California, is one of the nation’s largest tomato processors. Each year, it handles more than a million tons of tomatoes, producing paste and diced products for global food brands. Committed to innovation and sustainability, Ingomar partners with organizations like BWT to pioneer solutions that enhance resilience in California’s Central Valley. More at https://ingomarpacking.com/
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