Water Neutral Industry – Myth or Reality10 April 2013

© Confederation of Indian Industry

INDIA WATER WEEK 2013

Brainstorming Session on Water Neutral Industry – Myth or Reality

10 April 2013.


Concept of Water Neutrality

• It is a relatively new concept• Development of Industry should have a benign or positive effect on the

Water environment – specifically should not lead to an overall increase in the demand for water.

• The total water use across the wider area after setting up of the industry must be equal to or less than total water use across the wider area before setting up of the industry.

• A Water Neutral Industry requires that the Water needs are met through more efficient use of existing water resources rather than the development of new resources

• It is a useful tool to bring stakeholders in water management together in order to discuss water footprint reduction targets and mechanisms to offset the environmental and social impacts of residual water footprints


Towards water neutrality; Reducing and offsetting the impacts of water footprints

• Water neutral means that one reduces the water footprint of an activity as much as reasonably possible and offsets the negative externalities of the remaining water footprint. Compensation can be done by investing in a more sustainable and equitable use of water in the hydrological units in which the impacts of the remaining water footprint are located.


Key measures to achieve water neutrality include:

• Making new developments and the manufacturing process much more water-efficient;

• Offsetting new demand by retrofitting with more efficient devices and appliances

• Expanding metering in the area and introducing innovative tariffs for water use to encourage households to use water more efficiently


Zero Waste Water Discharge• Zero discharge is recycling of all industrial wastewater

i.e, treating of all wastewater so that it can be reused in the process and wastewater release can be avoided


Water & wastewater management/harvesting/recharge at plant level

+ Water initiatives in total area

Water used in manufacturing plantsPromoting water conservation measures in agriculture

Launch initiatives on ground Innovate to reduce consumption

+

Concept (Water Neutral and Water Positive)

Water Neutral Industry – Myth or Reality10 April 2013

Documents

Transcript of Water Neutral Industry – Myth or Reality10 April 2013