Water conservation is good for world and saves cost for companies, say industry leaders

Water conservation has picked up pace in the last few years amid concerns of shortage. There is an increased focus on conservation among companies operating in water-intensive manufacturing sectors such as textile, food & beverage and agriculture. These firms are upgrading their infrastructure by establishing facilities such as reverse osmosis units to help increase effluent reuse.APL Apollo Tubes says it optimised water consumption by strengthening the shop-floor processes. Sanjay Gupta, Chairman & Managing Director, says, it is an ongoing process at the company. “Our plant operations team has implemented a detailed plan to facilitate the reduction of freshwater consumption while improving our wastewater disposal and increasing water recycling. We also periodically examine and analyse how we allocate our water resources. We tweak our industrial processes to further optimise the consumption of this precious resource. As a result, we have already established rainwater harvesting techniques at two of our facilities with the aim of integrating this water-enriching solution at all our facilities by 2025,” says Gupta.

Jindal Aluminium says it employs a holistic approach that involves rainwater harvesting, water reuse systems and efficient wastewater treatment. The multifaceted approach prioritises responsible water management throughout operations. RK Jain, Senior Vice-President of Corporate Affairs at Jindal Aluminium, says the advanced water reuse systems treat and repurpose wastewater from its facility for various industrial needs, reducing demand for fresh water. The company also organises employee awareness programmes.

Water conservation benefits

APL Apollo Tubes claims that various strategies have helped it cut down its water consumption significantly. “Over the last three years (FY20–FY23), our total water consumption declined by 9% YoY, despite a 30% jump in production. Approximately, 27% of the overall water is recycled using our network of rainwater harvesting pits, which have a total capacity of 353 cubic metres. Our two facilities at Murbad and Malur are zero-liquid discharge certified (a treatment process in which the plant has no liquid discharge into the surface water), while all of our manufacturing facilities are expected to become zero-liquid discharge certified by 2025,” says Gupta.Jain says that the strategies and technologies implemented by Jindal Aluminium have also led to significant water conservation results. “While precise data may vary annually, we have consistently conserved a substantial amount of water by utilising rainwater harvesting, closed-loop systems and wastewater treatment processes. We are using 1.4-1.5 lakh litres a day of rainwater from a rain storage tank of 1.5-crore litre capacity.” Around 17 lakh litres are treated a month and reused for gardening, reducing the burden on groundwater extraction, he says.Are water conservation processes cost-effective?
According to several research, the estimated energy savings secured through water conservation programmes have proven to be cost-competitive with the energy efficiency programmes enacted by the utility concerned. Gupta lists some of these as installation of water-efficient equipment, replacing the older ones; implementation of a water recycling system to reduce the need for freshwater intake; and the implementation of water management tactics to increase savings from reduced water intake over a long period of time. “Therefore, being environmentally responsible is becoming economically advantageous for businesses as we improve our technologies and systems,” he adds.

Jain says their water conservation systems have reduced the dependence on natural water resources and by optimising water use, the company has reduced expenses on wastewater treatment.

Both industry stakeholders agree that by adopting water conservation measures, companies can contribute to water conservation efforts, reduce costs and enhance their sustainability practices.

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