Water Footprint

Reducing Costs and Safeguarding Against Future Legislation

Tony Kinsella

Yvonne McGillycuddy

Key Drivers for Environmental Regulation

• Energy

― Climate Change Levy

― EU-ETS

― CRC energy efficiency

• Waste

― Landfill Tax

― Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Waste)

• Water

― Increasing cost of purchasing water

― Increasing discharge costs

Global Water Stress (Rekacewicz, 2006)

Companies committed to reducing theirwater consumption

Water Today

• Water is an essential natural resource.

• Industrial supply may be threatened by

increasing domestic demand.

• Currently in the UK, water is regarded as

unlimited and freely available.

• Future water supply may be threatened by

the impacts of climate change.

• Main supply, abstraction, effluent and

discharge costs will continue to increase.

What Legislator’s are Saying

• The Water Framework Directive (WFD) calls for users to “pay the real cost of the water they use” in a bid to reduce consumption.

• “Users should pay for the natural resources they use and the damage they create”.

• OfWat suggests that “future challenges will make delivering safe, reliable, efficient and AFFORDABLE services increasingly difficult”.

• Defra want to “reform the water industry to be innovative and efficient”.

• Reduction in available water will result in shortage of energy, restrictions on water use and an increase in the cost of water. (Water Information System for Europe)

What is a Water Footprint?

What is a Water Footprint?

Water Management

Water Management

Water Management

What will Water Footprinting deliver?

• Cost Saving

– Identify potential inaccurate billing

– Identify leaks

– Improve process efficiency

– Identify low/no cost measures to increase water efficiency

• Benchmarking

• Regulatory Compliance

• Enhanced Sustainable Credential

Thank You