Strategies to reduce a company's water footprint

Water has gone from being an abundant input to a critical production factor. Pressure on water resources, rising water costs, and drought restrictions in many river basins are turning water efficiency into a condition for operating, not just a matter of social responsibility.

This article reviews the strategies that reduce net water consumption on-site and across the supply chain, along with the indicators that help measure progress.

What does reducing the water footprint mean?

Reducing the water footprint means cutting, per unit of product or service, the blue water (extracted from rivers, aquifers, or the mains), the green water (rainwater retained by crops), and the grey water (needed to dilute pollutants), without shifting the pressure to another basin or increasing the carbon footprint.

In other words, it is about improving the company's water efficiency while maintaining a positive environmental balance. Closing a cooling loop while at the same time driving up the electricity consumption of the pumps is not a win if the associated emissions cancel out the water benefit. That is why it is best to optimise with a full life cycle perspective.

What are the most effective strategies to reduce the water footprint?

The reuse of internal effluents is usually the first savings lever. When a cleaning line (CIP) discharges water with detergent and residual heat, a microfiltration train followed by reverse osmosis makes it possible to recycle a significant part of the flow and return it to the process.

In parallel, rainwater harvesting on industrial roofs reinforces supply at a low marginal cost and is useful for non-critical uses such as irrigation, washing, or replenishing cooling towers. Using reclaimed water is another route: Regulation (EU) 2020/741, applicable since 26 June 2023, sets the minimum quality requirements for reusing treated urban wastewater in agricultural irrigation, which gives legal certainty to these projects.

To fine-tune day-to-day operations, more and more organisations are integrating continuous monitoring and predictive models into their control systems, so that demand peaks are anticipated and pumping is adjusted. These scheduling improvements can reduce consumption without replacing equipment, although the saving depends on each facility.

To place these measures within a management system, see our guide on how to measure the water footprint in companies.

Process and operational redesign

Not all efficiency is bought in the form of machinery: a significant part comes from redesigning procedures.

• Optimise cleaning (CIP): reviewing nozzles, wash pressure, and detergent dosing reduces the rinse volume without compromising food safety.
• More efficient processes: in sectors such as textiles, low-water dyeing techniques reduce the water per batch and the energy needed to heat baths.
• Product ecodesign: lightweighting packaging or selecting lower-footprint materials reduces the embedded water demand in the supply chain.
• Leak detection and repair: fixing faulty seals and valves prevents continuous losses with a modest investment.

Indicators for managing water in the company

Management needs metrics that translate progress into results. The most useful indicators are:

• Water per unit of product (m³ per tonne or per unit): key to the competitiveness of the unit cost.
• Water cost over revenue: connects the environmental indicator to financial language.
• Percentage of recirculated water: measures the circularity achieved.
• Share of blue water over the total: reflects the dependence on scarce sources and the water risk in areas under water stress.

For the detail of the calculation, our guide on how to calculate the water footprint of a product or activity can help.

Reducing the water footprint: a continuous, multidisciplinary process

Reducing the corporate water footprint is a continuous process that combines diagnosis, technology investments, and process redesign. Companies that take it on strengthen their social licence to operate and stay ahead of an increasingly demanding regulatory framework, such as ESRS E3 on water resources.

Frequently asked questions about how to reduce a company's water footprint

What is the most economical measure to reduce the corporate water footprint?

Usually leak detection and repair: deteriorated seals and poorly adjusted valves cause continuous losses that are corrected with a low investment and a fast return.

Does reverse osmosis push up energy costs?

It increases electricity consumption, but it usually reduces the total cost by lowering the purchase of potable water and discharge fees. It is worth assessing this with a total cost analysis for each case.

How can suppliers be involved in reducing the water footprint?

By including water reporting clauses in contracts and measuring the virtual water associated with raw materials, so that suppliers with better performance can be prioritised.

To measure and reduce your company's water consumption with auditable data, discover Manglai's water footprint module.