Connecting the Drops Toward Creative Water Strategies a water sustainability tool

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1 Connecting the Drops Toward Creative Water Strategies a water sustainability tool Water Strategy Matrix Content This document provides suggestions for ways to involve various business functions in developing and implementing a business water sustainability strategy. We hope that these ideas provide a useful starting point for engaging your organization in addressing water sustainability challenges in creative ways. Corporate Management! Ask questions to understand how your business, products, services, suppliers, and customers relate to water resources and issues. Seek to understand water-related risks and opportunities that face your company.! Communicate the importance of water management and conservation to employees.! Voice direct and visible support for company water initiatives. Appear at kick-off events; write letters to support and recognition.! Look for opportunities to promote and implement the Water Sustainability Concepts.! Establish a cross-functional working group or committee to identify key water issues and to coordinate company strategy and actions. Intel and Anheuser-Busch have found cross-functional corporate water committees or councils to be highly useful.! Ask that water-related costs be included in project and new facility siting and due diligence evaluations.! Ensure that less tangible benefits, such as enhanced community relations, lower risk of supply disruption, regulatory flexibility, and expanded real options, are included in evaluations of water projects.! Establish water conservation targets or goals across business functions. Provide incentives for meeting targets. Include results in employee performance evaluations.! Support funding for water-related research and water conservation innovations.! Promote a suggestion/incentive system and recognize people who have water conservation ideas or water-related business opportunity ideas. Suggestion programs that reward employees with a percentage of the first year s savings have been successful motivational vehicles for some companies.! Request periodic performance data and information related to water use and discharges from all facilities and operations.! Support company efforts to increase transparency related to the business relationship to water. Support involvement in sustainability reporting programs, such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Plant Management! Support efforts to inform employees about local water quality and availability issues, as well as the importance of water conservation.! Invite representatives from local water utilities and NGOs to the facility to speak about local water quality and availability issues.! Use GEMI s Water Sustainability Tool to build awareness about the facility s relationship to water.

2 ! Request installation of water meters within the facility to better monitor water flows and water use. Process and/or equipment level metering can often provide more useful data for identifying water conservation and reuse opportunities.! Request preparation of a water balance that maps key water flows at the facility.! Seek to understand community water needs, concerns, and trends through community outreach and involvement.! Consider the following information and factors when evaluating potential projects at the facility: direct and indirect water-related costs; risks associated with potential water supply disruptions to the facility and to key suppliers; and less tangible benefits, such as reduced water supply disruption risks and enhanced community relations, when considering whether to invest in water conservation projects. DuPont s construction of a wetlands and water treatment system in Victoria, Texas highlights this approach.! Organize a facility water team to identify and evaluate water conservation and quality improvement opportunities. See the Anheuser-Busch, Intel, and Novartis case studies for examples of where this approach has been helpful.! Periodically discuss strategic plans and contingency plans for local water supply management with officials from local water utilities. See the Anheuser-Busch case study for an example.! Track and monitor information on facility water use and effluent.! Post or publicize facility water use and quality data to raise employee awareness. Operations! Think about the ways in which the equipment and processes you work with use and/or affect water.! Participate in meetings and initiatives at the facility and in the community to learn more about local water issues and steps that you can take to more sustainably manage water resources.! Provide suggestions to EHS and other plant personnel regarding ideas for conserving water, reusing water, and minimizing effluent and potential water quality impacts.! Identify discharges that may be re-used and implement re-use practices. Some discharges with potential for re-use are: final rinses from tank cleaning, keg washers, and fermenters; bottle and can soak and rinse water; cooler flush water; filter backwash; pasteurizer and sterilizer water; final rinses in wash cycles; boiler makeup; refrigeration equipment defrost; equipment cleaning; and floor and gutter wash water.! Work with EHS personnel and/or the facility water team to evaluate the costs and benefits of potential projects for improving water efficiency and reducing wastewater discharge impacts.! Maintain a library of equipment specifications and operating instructions. Regularly check to ensure that water-using equipment is operating in accordance with manufacturers performance standards.! Establish a process to check routinely facility and process areas for signs of leaks, drips, and indications of unnecessary water use. Promptly report and/or address problems.! Identify and implement projects to improve water efficiency, reuse water, and reduce water quality impacts. See the WaterWiser Water Efficiency Clearinghouse ( for numerous ideas and resources. This site also contains useful links to other Internet resources that address water efficiency, water reuse, and water quality improvement opportunities. 2

3 ! Monitor water use and flows in process areas and track usage over time. Promptly report and/or address abnormalities or out-of-range trends. Marketing! Learn how the company s products and services relate to water quality and availability issues.! Help educate customers about the responsible use or disposal of the company s products or services so as to reduce water use or impacts.! Help educate customers about the importance of water conservation and sustainable water management.! Highlight company partnerships with NGOs and others that address water quality issues to raise public awareness of water issues and challenges.! Conduct market research, such as focus groups and market surveys, to improve company understanding of customer preferences and/or needs. Incorporate questions on water issues into existing market research activities.! Participate in a corporate water council or committee (if available) to improve understanding of the company s relationship to water and the needs of customers.! Explore water-related competitive advantages associated with product or services that can be used in marketing efforts. For example, promote a product that uses less water than those of competitors.! Help identify potential competitive advantages that could result from meeting customer needs in a more sustainable manner. The following resource provides helpful background for considering the business case for marketing products and services with more environmentally-friendly or sustainable attributes: Jacqueline Ottman. Green Marketing: Opportunity for Innovation (See for more information.)! Use marketing materials that have less impact on water quality and use, such as recycled paper, unbleached paper, and biodegradable ink dyes.! Consider whether the company s products or services could be adapted to address water-related needs of others. Consider if there are ways to foster new relationships, distribution channels, or customer groups by addressing the water needs of others.! Continue to track the water-related needs and preferences of customers. Regional drought and local water issues have potential to quickly swing customer needs and buying patterns. Companies that are able to provide products and services that have less impact on water quality and availability, or that directly address water needs, may be well positioned to meet evolving market demands. Product Development! Work with EHS staff to identify substances and materials that should not be used because of potential impacts on water quality, ecosystems and human health.! During product design, minimize water quality impacts throughout the product life cycle. 3

4 o Inputs: Work with EHS to minimize indirect water impacts of materials. o Manufacturing: Work with operations, engineering, etc. to reduce water use in new product manufacturing processes. Reduce use of hazardous materials. o Customer Use: Consider product designs that reduce customer s use and impact on water. Use delivery mechanisms that use less water. o Final Disposition: Consider water quality impacts of disposal. Reduce packaging.! Project potential water use/needs of a developing new product by "scaling up" the small-scale development process to a maximum future production level or sales volume. Consider most likely production locations or high use geographical regions to more realistically understand the potential water concerns and business impacts should the product reach the market.! Establish and use a project screening / evaluation criterion specifically focused on water costs. Different corporate approved cost factors could be used (e.g., company manufacturing facilities, customer location by region).! Consider water use and impacts in setting product design specifications. The Water Sustainability Concepts in this GEMI tool and the Hannover Principles provide helpful lists of goals to consider in the design process. The Hannover Design for Sustainability Principles were developed for EXPO 2000 in Hannover, Germany.! To capture product development successes, take credit for them, and identify areas for improvement, try a "before and after" approach. Develop an estimate of water impacts per unit of production or sales early in the product development cycle for new products. Use the same method to estimate those impacts after a full-scale production process is designed. Comparing these before and after results can provide valuable information. Identify and communicate to employees efficiency enhancements and cost reducing changes made during process development.! Establish and use project success indicators to help focus the product development team on water conservation. The indicators could be set on a variety of bases, such as gallons used per pound of product manufactured or gallons used per pound consumed. Environmental Managers! Use bulletins, websites, newsletters, and paycheck stuffers to communicate facility policies, programs, ideas, announcements, progress reports, and special achievements.! Publicize international, national, and local water events and trends to employees.! Develop and/or rent videos that highlight desired water management practices. Novartis found this approach useful for encouraging employees to alter their water management practices and attentiveness.! Research and share information about what other companies in your industry are doing to conserve water or address water quality issues. Contact your industry association to see if they have information or resources that address industry water issues and needs.! Implement an employee suggestion system to collect employees water conservation and water quality improvement ideas. Create incentives for employee participation. Reward or recognize employees for submitting ideas.! Coordinate a facility water team. This approach has proven useful at Anheuser-Busch and Novartis facilities.! Subscribe to literature on water management and technologies that might be relevant to facility operations and make the information available to employees. 4

5 ! Use GEMI s Water Sustainability Tool to structure your evaluation of the business case for pursuing a water strategy or specific opportunities.! Build a business case for water sustainability planning and projects that includes consideration of indirect and less tangible business benefits.! Seek opportunities to improve facility water efficiency, reuse water, and lessen water quality impacts. See the WaterWiser Water Efficiency Clearinghouse ( for numerous ideas and resources. This site also contains useful links to other Internet resources that address water efficiency, water reuse, and water quality improvement opportunities.! Periodically offer home water-saving devices (e.g., low-flow faucet attachments, water purification systems) to employees and sponsor demonstrations of their use.! Distribute information on water conservation and management steps that employees can take at work and at home.! Coordinate efforts to establish water-related metrics to track performance related to water use and efficiency, water reuse, water quality, and other water issues. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has developed guidance on water-related performance measurement.! Monitor and post information on company and facility water use and impacts.! Communicate information about water use in terms to which employees can relate, such as gallons used per employee, gallons used per unit of production, or dollar cost or savings. Facilities and Engineering! Participate in meetings and initiatives at the facility and in the community to learn more about local water issues and steps that you can take to more sustainably manage water resources.! Identify the ways in which your activities and equipment use and/or affect water.! Post water conservation reminder signs in areas of frequent water use, such as bathroom, sink, and hose wash-down areas.! Conduct periodic research into new water saving technologies that could be applied to address water-related needs and systems at the facility.! Consider the Water Sustainability Concepts and the Hannover Design for Sustainability Principles in facility design, construction, and modification.! Work with EHS personnel and/or the facility water team to evaluate the costs and benefits of potential projects for improving water efficiency and reducing wastewater discharge impacts.! Establish a system for employees to notify the proper plant personnel about dripping faucets, leaks, broken sprinklers, and other instances of wasted water.! Apply water efficiency techniques to landscaping, facility maintenance, and facility management practices at the facility. See the WaterWiser Water Efficiency Clearinghouse ( for ideas and resources. This site also contains useful links to other Internet resources.! Take steps to reduce water use for cleaning equipment and process areas. While water is typically more environmentally friendly than solvents for cleaning applications, water is often used inefficiently for cleaning purposes. Discontinue using water to clean sidewalks, driveways, loading docks, and parking lots. 5

6 ! Monitor facility water use. Identify the amount of water used for specific activities (e.g., vehicle washing, irrigation, landscaping), and establish targets to guide future improvement. Public and Government Relations! Ask questions to understand how your business, products, services, suppliers, and customers relate to water resources and issues. Seek to understand water-related risks and opportunities that face your company.! Leverage any neighbor group or community advisory committee that may exist in your company. Find out if water-related issues are raised. Respond promptly in a manner that encourages discussion and open feedback. If they are not raised naturally, deliberately devote agenda time to water topics such as local water quality, your operation's impact on quality and availability, and community concerns - help to sort out fact and fiction.! Monitor emerging water issues and trends at the local, regional, national, and international levels for signals that may affect company operations, key suppliers, and customers. Industry associations can be useful sources of information.! Inform EHS personnel and the company and/or facility water team about water trends and information that you encounter.! Find out what trade organizations your company is a member in. Determine if those groups have environmentally related subgroups or committees. Get involved, or educate and provide input on water issues to your company's representative to these groups. Many of these organizations support generating comments on upcoming regulations and have organized government lobbying efforts.! Schedule time with environmental staff to review the potential impacts of identified water issues. Seek to understand the topic well enough that it can be prioritized along with other business needs. Work to develop a strategy for raising high priority issues into company communication efforts.! Work with environmental and marketing personnel to establish partnerships to address water challenges at the local, regional, and/or international levels.! Create a demonstration project, garden, or park that highlights sustainable water practices to the local community.! Support public education programs about water conservation in schools or in partnership with local government, utilities, or NGOs.! Create employee volunteer opportunities that address water issues.! Set goals for water conservation. Track and disclose performance annually. 6