From risks awareness to responsible water stewardship: a holistic approach to water management
For decades, water in industries was treated as a reliable utility—available when needed, inexpensive, and largely taken for granted. It flowed into factories for processing, cleaning, cooling, and utilities, and flowed out as wastewater, often with limited scrutiny beyond regulatory compliance. Today, that assumption no longer holds true.
Across industrial regions worldwide, groundwater levels are declining, river basins are under stress, and climate variability is disrupting water availability. Industries operating in water-stressed geographies increasingly face operational disruptions, regulatory restrictions, and rising stakeholder expectations. Water has shifted from a background resource to a strategic business risk and ESG priority. Organisations today face an urgent need to incorporate responsible water stewardship into their management policies, meeting compliance requirements and addressing customers’ ESG expectations.
Water stress: the context shaping industrial water management
Manufacturing operations are often concentrated in industrial clusters within already stressed river basins. Regions such as India, parts of China, the Middle East, Africa, Southern Europe, and Latin America experience chronic water scarcity, seasonal variability, and increasing competition among industrial, agricultural, and domestic water users.
In these geographies:
- Groundwater abstraction is increasingly regulated
- Surface water availability is unpredictable
- Water quality degradation raises treatment costs
- Community and reputational risks are rising
The above issues around water scarcity and quality degradation have caused inevitable disruption to industrial and agricultural water usage, forcing organisations to look for ways to improve water consumption and reduce indirect costs associated. More companies are now turning to international frameworks such as GRI 303 and BRSR. Both schemes require organisations to disclose water use and impacts in water-stressed areas. Some organisations seek sustainability assessment from EcoVadis which evaluates how effectively companies identify and manage location-specific water risks.
All in all, organisations are forced to ask a fundamental question:
“How much water do we use, where does it matter most, and how do we manage it responsibly?”
Understanding industrial water use: the starting point of the journey
Water use in manufacturing is highly process-dependent and sector-specific. To name a few examples:
- Textiles industry relies heavily on water for wet processing, dyeing, washing, and finishing, generating complex effluents.
- Food & Beverage industry uses water as an ingredient, for hygiene, cleaning-in-place (CIP), and utilities, with strict quality requirements.
- Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals industry depends on water for processing and cooling systems; high-purity water is required in drugs production, with both quantity and quality risks.
- Pulp & Paper and Metals consume large volumes of water for processing and cooling, offering high reuse potential but facing regulatory pressure.
This complexity means that generic water reduction targets are insufficient. Organisations must first understand how water flows through their operations and supply chains, and how those flows interact with local water availability.
From volumes to impact: why water foot printing comes first
Water Footprint Assessment – ISO 14046:2014
As organisations begin to confront water risk, many realize that simple volumetric accounting is no longer sufficient. Knowing how much water is withdrawn does not explain where water use creates the greatest environmental or business impact. This realization leads organisations toward water footprint assessment. Water foot printing, as defined under ISO 14046:2014, enables organisations to evaluate not only water consumption but also the potential environmental impacts associated with water use and water pollution, taking local water scarcity and basin conditions into account. By linking water use to geography and context, water footprint assessments help organisations identify high-risk sites, water-intensive processes, and supply chain hotspots, forming a robust basis for strategic decision-making.
Water foot printing also plays a critical role in sustainability reporting and ESG disclosures. Frameworks such as GRI 303 require organisations to report water withdrawal, consumption, and impacts in water-stressed areas, while BRSR emphasizes quantitative reporting on water intensity, recycling, and risk exposure. EcoVadis assessments similarly evaluate whether companies understand their water risks and have credible plans to address them. Water footprint assessments provide the analytical depth and traceability required to respond to these expectations with confidence.
Turning insight into action: water efficiency in operations
Water Efficiency Management – ISO 46001:2019
Once water-related impacts are understood, organisations naturally progress toward improving operational performance through water efficiency. Water efficiency is now extended beyong isolated conservation projects; it is increasingly managed through structured systems aligned with ISO 46001:2019. A Water Efficiency Management System integrates water efficiency into governance, operational controls, monitoring, and continuous improvement.
In manufacturing environments, this translates into optimised cooling tower operations, improved boiler and utility efficiency, reduction of losses and leakages, increased reuse of treated water, and enhanced monitoring through digital systems. Water efficiency initiatives reduce dependency on freshwater sources, lower operational costs, and strengthen resilience in water-scarce regions, while supporting year-on-year improvement expectations under GRI, BRSR, and EcoVadis.
Beyond efficiency: the case for water neutrality
Balancing industrial water use with replenishment
However, in highly stressed regions, even best-in-class efficiency may not fully address the broader water challenge. This has led many organisations to adopt water neutrality as the next stage of their water stewardship journey. Water neutrality aims to balance net water consumption by combining internal reductions and reuse with external replenishment initiatives. Through rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, watershed restoration, and community water projects, organizations acknowledge that water is a shared resource, and that long-term business resilience depends on the health of local water systems. Water neutrality strengthens alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 and enhances social and environmental credibility under ESG frameworks.
Closing the loop: Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD)
Eliminating wastewater discharge in high-risk contexts
For certain industries and locations, the journey toward responsible water management culminates in Zero Liquid Discharge. ZLD represents the highest level of operational water control, ensuring that all wastewater is treated, recovered, and reused, with no liquid effluent discharged into the environment. This approach is particularly relevant for textile, chemical, pharmaceutical, and other water-intensive industries operating in water-stressed basins. By maximising recovery and minimising environmental impact, ZLD not only addresses regulatory and environmental concerns but also reinforces water security and operational continuity.
Bringing it all together: a unified ESG water strategy
Together, water efficiency, water foot printing, water neutrality, and Zero Liquid Discharge form a progressive and integrated water management pathway. When implemented cohesively, they enable organisations to move from risk awareness to measurable performance improvement and ultimately toward responsible water stewardship. This integrated approach directly supports consistent and credible disclosures under GRI, BRSR, and EcoVadis with reliable data, robust methodologiesand third-party verified outcomes.
How Eurofins Assurance enables your water stewardship journey
Eurofins Assurance supports organizations throughout this entire water management journey. By combining deep technical expertise with alignment to international standards, Eurofins assists organizations in conducting
- ISO 14046-compliant water footprint assessments – Water Footprint Reporting
- Implementing and certifying water efficiency management systems under ISO 46001 – Water Efficiency Certification
- Developing and verifying water neutrality strategies – Water Neutrality Certification
- Evaluating and verifying Zero Liquid Discharge systems – Zero Liquid Discharge Certification
In an era of growing water stress and ESG accountability, effective water management is no longer optional. With the right technical approach and independent assurance, organisations can transform water from an operational vulnerability into a strategic asset for sustainable and responsible growth. Contact us for more discussion now!
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