The United Nations predicts that by 2030, water demand will be 40 percent more than global availability unless conservation actions are accelerated.
Industry, the UN says, accounts for 20 percent of all freshwater use globally — and 40 percent of use in developing countries. Ecolab Inc., whose business is water technologies, has introduced a free online tool to help businesses manage their water usage.
Ecolab CEO Doug Baker said the company's Smart Water Navigator helps companies "turn good intentions into action."
The tool first, developed with Trucost and a panel of private-sector companies, has businesses answer 13 questions and then shows how an individual firm compares to industry-leading water management standards.
The tool places each facility on a "Water Maturity Curve" and then offers practical steps that the company could take to improve its practices. Companies can then go deeper based on where facilities are located and those sites' specific water scores.
"Ambitious goals are set at the corporate level, but very often, facility managers don't have the tools, resources and incentives to meet expectations. Since 2011, overall corporate water use has only fallen by 10 percent," said Emilio Tenuta, Ecolab's vice president of sustainability, in a statement.
Conservation steps recommended by the tool also can allow companies to achieve substantial savings.
The online tool is at www.smartwaternavigator.com.
