Fresh Water is Scarce. Its feared that the next world war could be about Water. Water is used for human consumption and is a necessity. While the awareness is huge with respect to use or wastage of water by people, the same can not be attributed to manufacturing industries’ use of water.
Industrial water is used in the manufacturing process itself as well as for washing, cooling, diluting. Water is also used in large volumes in the following industries: iron & steel, oil and natural gas, chemical, food and beverage, and more. With experts predicting world-wide shortage of water, industries can take a lead in conserving/optimising the use of industrial water.
Conserving Water Use by Manufacturers
When manufacturers consume lesser amounts of water it straightaway frees up unused water for use by society leading to better relationships with people for whom this water is even more critical. The waste water discharge from operations also comes down and so do associated costs.
As per some earlier reports, manufacturing industry utilises approximately double the volume water than the houses. When manufacturers consume fresh water and discharge wastewater, they further impact the environment with pollutants. Pollutants such as heavy metal, pathogens, chemicals and oil. There’s another danger and that’s of heat discharge into water bodies. The heat effluents into the water cause the dissolved oxygen levels to decrease as the water temperature increases and this gravely affects the life inside water.
Water Conservation in the DNA
Either by self-regulation or legal measures, industries must take steps to reduce water pollution as well as reduce usage of water. Industry bodies need to up the ante in this connection by organising awareness camps and training sessions for workers/employees. Employees on the ground – once sensitised – are the best resource to find creative solutions to water conservation issues. The manufacturers must introduce reward/incentive structure that recognises employees’ inputs on such matters. Since, water conservation is already well understood at a consumer/individual level, the company can also ask for volunteers to act as champions to lead the water conservation task force. This water conservation task force would investigate the current water consumption pattern – source, usage, discharge – and suggest ways to reduce water usage as well as reduce water discharge and come up with water reuse plans. This task force should also have experts who should find ways to completely shun water usage and move to a dry process, wherever possible.
The task force should also be given the responsibility of spreading the need and urgency of water conservation across the board. Water Conservation must be in the DNA of the manufacturing company.
