Environmental Leader/Jennifer Hermes: Help May Be on the Way for Industry’s Water Challenges

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Help May Be on the Way for Industry’s Water Challenges

June 26, 2017 by Jennifer Hermes

A large proportion of US companies may not be aware of the risks that face their businesses in terms of water challenges, according to the CDP. Just 34% of companies responding to a CDP survey in 2016 had undertaken a water assessment that included both direct operations and supply chain. But as the market for desalination and water reuse solutions heats up, companies may soon have more – and better -choices for managing water risk.

With today’s water challenges coming from a variety of areas outside of any one company’s control, it can be difficult for groups of companies to find a common solution. “Individual business action will always have limited impact and most water risks can only be mitigated by the effective and concerted action” of a group with common interests and concerns, says Morgan Gillespy, head of water for the CDP (via Forbes).

With that in mind, Gillespy suggests that for most companies working individually, the first step in managing corporate water risk is to understand the ways in which that risk will impact their business. That means undertaking a comprehensive water risk assessment. Often, such a risk lies in the health of catchment in which a business is situated.

A Research and Markets study indicates that in the face of new technologies, shifting public opinion and developing water recycling programs, there are now major opportunities to provide cost-effective and sustainable innovative water solutions. As competition for building and bringing new solutions to market increases in coming years, commercial and industrial customers may find their water options increasing and costs falling.

Beer brewing is one of the industries that have come under the microscope recently in terms of its water intensity, in large part because beer is made up of 90% to 95% water. Last week, Ballast Point Brewing Co. announced that it has been experimenting with new technology and has just completed its first two batches of beer made with water extracted literally from thin air. That is, the brewer is using water produced from Ambient Water’s AW400 water generator, which extracts moisture from San Diego’s coastal fog and produces hundreds of gallons of potable water per day.

Categories Environmental Management, Feature, Manufacturing, WaterTags water, water risk
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