Every Last Drop: Water and the Sustainable Business

SSC White Paper

EVERY LAST DROP:Water and Sustainable Business

www.sustainabilityconsulting.comCopyright © 2012, Strategic Sustainability Consulting. All rights reserved.

Every Last Drop

As water scarcity becomes a more and more pressing issue, businesses are beginning to realize its widespread affects.

This presentation summarizes the white paper Every Last Drop:Water and Sustainable Business, which provides a broad overview of the current water situation by highlighting the major issues and trends surrounding water scarcity and quality in the context of business risk.

It also covers water trends and how to measure your organization's water footprint, providing practical tools for reducing water and saving money. A guide to smart water use based on your industry type is included.

http://www.sustainabilityconsulting.com/extra-resources/every-last-drop-water-and-the-sustainable-business.html






Every Last Drop

After reading Every Last Drop, you will be able to answer:1. Why do you need to address water risk

in your business?

2. What might the future look like for your industry and how will that shape key strategic business decisions?

3. How will you implement a water conservation and risk strategy?

4. What behavioral/technological changes will you have to make? How fast will you see a return on investment?

5. How can you market your efforts to gain competitive advantage?



Part One: An Introduction to the Problem



Water is a key component of all business operations, whether in direct processes or supply chain sectors. While in some cases water can be replaced by oil, the need to use water

can never be completely avoided.

No company, regardless of its size, can ignore the effects that water challenges will bring.



Globally speaking, our water use is unsustainable. If changes happen now, and we mean now, water shortages, ecological collapse, and economic disaster can be avoided in the future.

Every Last Drop highlights water trends in the context of business risk, making water conservation accessible to your organization.

Whether you have just started to think about

sustainability orwould like to take your efforts

to a new level, StrategicSustainability Consulting can

help!


http://www.sustainabilityconsulting.com/

http://www.sustainabilityconsulting.com/

Part Two: Water Troubles



With only a finite amount of fresh water on the planet for human use (less than 1% of usable water being available above ground), and a

booming population, water truly is the next big global issue.



The Big Picture Water is not always abundant

where it is truly needed while the reverse is also true: it can be an abundant resource where demand is not as high (with low concentrations of people)

Water is basically immobile, and highly costly to transport

Freshwater consumption worldwide has more than doubled in recent years

As more and more countries industrialize, embedded water usage sky rockets

For more facts and figures download the rest of Every Last Drop!




The Effects of Climate Change The amount, intensity, frequency,

and type of precipitation The widespread appearance of

droughts Intense depreciation of glaciers

and snow cover Higher water temperatures,

increased precipitation intensity, and decreased flow all exacerbate pollution

Increased vulnerability of ecosystems



Decaying Infrastructure Many water pipes, storage

facilities, dams, and reservoirs are over 100 years old

Leaks and sewage spills result Lack of accurate water usage

monitoring due to outdated systems

Climate change will only decay infrastructure further



Concerning water-energy confluence, it is important to save the energy that is required to pump, process, and refine our water and waste. In doing so water itself will be conserved.

Once you consider water and energy as related, environmental impacts can be minimized holistically.



Pricing and Privatization While water prices may seem

cheap now, they will inevitably rise in the near future

Until water prices reflect the true cost of delivering water, many infrastructure changes will be hard to make

With an enormous amount of capital expenditure required to fix the water infrastructure, financing has become a key issue

Download Every Last Drop to

understand more on the private sector!



Part Three: Water Conservation



Contrary to popular belief it is actually often more cost effective for businesses to invest in technologies and

processes that save water, rather than to source more.

Much like energy efficiency, a first step should always be water efficiency before seeking new sources of water.



Conservation and Human Behavior The term “water conservation” is

defined as reducing water use by improving the efficiency of various uses of water without decreasing services

Improving water efficiency can be either behavioral or technological in nature

It is helpful to think about the water problem in one of two ways: by either reducing demand or increasing supply

Learn more in our free white paper here.




Jumpstart Change Educate and involve

employees on water conservation

Locate all water using sources in the facility: bathrooms, wash sinks, dish machines, HVAC, cooling water

Identify and implement water conservation



Technologies to Consider

Category Best Available Technology Cost

Toilets and Urinals Composting Toilets and Waterless Urinals

Starting at $200-$300

Faucets Sensor Activated High Efficiency Faucets

Aerators start at $5

Showerheads Low Flow Head with a Stop Valve

Range from $8-$50

Hot Water Recirculating Hot Water Systems with Temperature Controlled Bypass Valve and a Timer

Starting at about $300

Clothes Washers Energy Star Clothes Washer Starting at $800

Dishwashers Energy Star Dishwasher Starting at $400

Gray Water Gray Water System for Irrigation and Toilets

Cost Varies Geographically

Rain Water Harvesting System for Irrigation and Toilets $2500 for a Large Cistern

Irrigation Satellite Enabled Irrigation Controllers with Self-Closing Nozzles

Start at $500



Learn more by downloading Every Last Drop.

Your Water Bill•Understand you water bill and review it monthly for indications of leaks, spikes, or other problems

Your Water Meter•Learn how to read your meter and do so monthly, comparing to the previous year to detect changes

Check and Repair Leaks

Go Low Flow

Try Sweeping•Use dry sweeping, water efficient spray brooms, or low flow spray nozzles

Irrigation•Test Sprinklers 4 times a year

Install Information Signs and Train Employees

Recycle and Reuse

Conservation Check List:


Part Four: Creating and Implementing a Water Strategy



There are specific actions you can take in order to minimize the risks that water scarcity can have on your company.

The following steps will help you in assessing your water inputs and outputs so that you can manage them to

ultimately save water and maximize business opportunities.



The Steps1. Measure your company’s water

footprint throughout its value chain

2. Assess the physical, regulatory, and reputational risks associated with your water footprint Seek to align findings with

the company’s energy and climate risk assessments

3. Engage key stakeholders as a part of water risk assessment, long-term planning, and implementation activities



The Steps4. Integrate water issues into

strategic business planning and governance

5. Disclose and communicate water performance and associated risks

6. Create an action plan to reduce your water use throughout your value chain

Don’t forget to download the white paper to learn more on

each step of creating a strategy!


Part Five: Specific Strategies



Since water use varies so greatly between residential and industrial organizations, this section will examine the specific

routes that these categories can take to conserve water.

Which one fits your organization?



Residential Golf Courses

Get “greener” grass, improve irrigation, utilize rain water

Medical Facilities Update equipment, evaluate

chemicals, assess cooling systems

Lodging Laundries

Update washing machines

Find out how lodging uses water in more way than one!

Which one fits your organization? Download Every Last Drop to learn more on specific strategies for

businesses.






Residential Office Buildings

Install low flow toilets, eliminate once-through cooling equipment

Property Management Restaurants

Retrofit with Energy Star appliances

Schools Update bathroom fixtures,

reduce outdoor water use


businesses.




Industrial Apparel/Textiles

Consider your supply chain Check out a full case study on

textile process improvement!

Beverages Consider bottling, distribution,

and raw material production

Biotechnology Invest in community water

projects to reduce wastewater discharge


businesses.





Industrial Food and Agriculture

Update irrigation systems, begin modest crop shifting

High Tech Metals and Mining

Efficiency improvements in direct operations, including water recycling in ore refinement

Forest Products Electrical Power


businesses.


Need Help Getting Started?



Whether you have just started to think about sustainability or would like to take your efforts to a new level, Strategic Sustainability Consulting can help with all your green initiatives.

We have extensive experience helping small and medium sized firms develop customized sustainability plans in the context of their specific stakeholders and marketplace. Whatever your budget, we will provide you with a workable, cost-saving solution.

Using our unique methodology – the SSC Green Audit – we will help identify issues specific to your firm, employees and customers. Step-by-step, we will show you how to seize competitive advantage through sustainability and become a leader in the green building environment.



http://www.sustainabilityconsulting.com/greenaudit/



This white paper is also a great resource to get you started! Every Last Drop: Water and Sustainable Business will provide you with the resources needed to take action.




Download the complimentary white paper in it’s entirety by visiting the SSC website today:Every Last Drop: Water and Sustainable Business

What are your thoughts? Join the conversation on twitter @jenniferwoofter!


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