To support further water conservation in the future , ABB has established a water metre monitoring and analysis system . “ We also invested in water management structures to capture rainwater in streams which can be used by nearby rural villages , for drinking and agriculture .”
For manufacturers who want to achieve water positivity certification , Kothawade has some advice .
“ To achieve water positivity , the first step should be to establish a proper water consumption monitoring and analysis system to account for each drop of water and from which to plan reduction measures ,” he says . “ The entire approach should be divided into short-term and long-term targets . Short-term activities are measures such as the installation of water aerators , a drip irrigation system for landscaping , usage of sewage treatment plant water for landscaping / domestic purposes , installing an effluent treatment plant so that industrial trade effluent can be reused for processes , waterless urinal systems , targeted reduction measures for high water consuming activities and committing to zero liquid discharge from your facilities .”
In the long-term , rainwater harvesting and storage systems can be installed for recharging the groundwater table and reducing dependency on fresh water .
“ Whatever your water positivity plan , the basic idea is to follow three R ’ s approach : Reduce , reuse and recycle water ,” said Kothawade .
ABB believes that water use is arguably the next big sustainability challenge for manufacturers . The industrial sector is forecast to use 24 % of global freshwater withdrawals by 2025 and in some developed
By 2050 , India is forecast to be the nation most severely affected by water scarcity according to a UN report
Research shows that 600m people face extreme water stress and three quarters of rural households don ’ t have access to piped , drinking water and must rely on unsafe sources
50 December 2023