Even if you’re not in the “business” of water, it may play a key role in your facility’s growth, profits, and regulatory compliance. With emerging complications like aging infrastructure and succession planning (as water and wastewater experts approach retirement), it's increasingly important to have a solid plan for future water management.
We often hear from clients that water and sustainability don’t make it onto their priority lists—at least not until costs or the ability to get work done are affected. Consider this example of how planning and strategy, or lack thereof, can have far-reaching consequences. When two primary and backup operators with decades of experience left within weeks of each other, a facility was forced to hire a contract operator to allow the facility to discharge or face a facility-wide shut down. The time it took for the contract operator to get up to speed on operations resulted in permit non-compliance, which both affected the facility’s standing with regulators and delayed its ability to hire and properly train new staff. However, without the intervention of the contract operator, the facility would have faced continued regulatory fines and corrective actions due to the loss of the decades of knowledge held by two individuals within the company.
The reality is that water and wastewater management are closely tied to compliance, operational growth, and overall profitability, and that’s why these considerations are crucial for your business.
The Business Case for Water Management Strategies in Manufacturing
For many consumer and industrial goods manufacturers, water is critical to operations. But manufacturing’s often necessary heavy water use comes into conflict with broader concerns such as increasing water scarcity and stricter discharge limits. Your water source (municipal, groundwater, or a mix), water use, wastewater generation, and wastewater treatment (direct discharge or pretreatment) are all costly, complex, and ever-evolving considerations that affect your business’ performance.
When these considerations are not evaluated strategically from the start, the financial and compliance consequences can be significant. For example, a facility spent $3M to build a new onsite wastewater treatment facility. Struggling to meet permits, the facility underwent an audit. It was determined that the new facility was not equipped to remove the pollutants that were causing the non-compliance. In order to become compliant with their permit, additional treatment systems had to be added, at additional costs due to the retrofit.
Strategic water management in manufacturing goes beyond compliance to drive operational efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and enhance long-term sustainability. At the facility level, this can look like reduced energy, chemical, equipment, and labor costs, improved industrial wastewater compliance, and, ultimately, a healthier bottom line.
Sometimes, the opportunity lies in simply understanding your own system more clearly. In one case, a facility was using water to add chlorine for wastewater disinfection. During an audit, it was revealed that the water being used was municipal water purchased by the facility—not their private well water. Thanks to this discovery, the facility switched to using their private well and avoided the cost of purchasing approximately 1 million gallons of water per year.
While these examples highlight facility-level opportunities and risks, they exist within a broader water landscape that is becoming increasingly complex and demanding for manufacturers.
The Evolving Water Landscape for Manufacturers
- Regulatory Scrutiny: NPDES permits, local discharge limits, water quantity and quality requirements, and monitoring for emerging contaminants
- Water Scarcity & Stress: Regional shortages create business continuity risks and potential litigation
- Stakeholder Expectations: Investors, consumers, and NGOs increasingly demand responsible water stewardship
Key Pillars of Effective Water Management Strategy
A comprehensive plan for water management has five key elements. Each plays a role in meeting critical near-term compliance needs while supporting environmental sustainability and long-term business resilience.
1. Water Use & Quality Assessment & Baseline
Understand where and how water is used. Conduct a water use and quality assessment to identify high-demand areas, inefficiencies, and potential reuse opportunities. A solid baseline helps track progress, set realistic goals, and support data-driven decisions for improvement. Armed with that knowledge, you can uncover cost savings, strengthen compliance, and take the first step toward smarter, more sustainable water use.
2. Water Conservation & Efficiency
The following tactics, implemented as part of your water strategy, can drive measurable water efficiency in manufacturing while reducing costs:
- Process optimization (e.g., counter-current rinsing, dry cleaning alternatives)
- Leak detection and repair
- Waste-stream segregation
- Identifying recycling and reuse opportunities (e.g., greywater systems, cooling tower blowdown reuse)
3. Wastewater Treatment & Management
When strategically managed, wastewater treatment systems can do more than meet permit limits. They can also improve efficiency, reduce operational costs, and support long-term resilience. The following elements are critical to that approach:
- Pre-treatment strategies to meet discharge limits
- Process optimization to reduce energy, chemical, equipment, and labor costs
- Advanced treatment technologies
- Sludge management and beneficial reuse
- Standardized methods across facilities
- Succession planning for critical expertise
4. Stormwater Management
Good industrial stormwater management helps prevent runoff from carrying oil, debris, or chemicals into waterways. Simple actions like regular inspections, covered storage areas, and updated Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPPs) can protect the environment and keep your facility compliant.
5. Water Risk Assessment
Identify physical, regulatory, and reputational risks across your value chain to future-proof operations.
A thorough water risk assessment looks at how drought, flooding, or changing rules could affect your facility’s water use and supply. Understanding these risks helps you plan ahead, stay compliant, and protect business continuity.
Benefits of Proactive Water Management
Taking a proactive approach to water management helps facilities move from reactive compliance to sustained performance improvement. The following benefits illustrate the measurable business value that results from a structured water strategy:
- Cost Savings: Reduce water consumption and lower wastewater treatment costs.
- Regulatory Compliance: Avoid fines, penalties, and operational shutdowns, and add in breathing room and reduce stress.
- Reduced Environmental Impact: Conserve freshwater, improve water quality, and safeguard against future potential litigation.
- Enhanced Brand Reputation: Demonstrate ESG leadership and commitment to sustainability.
- Operational Resilience: Mitigate risks associated with water scarcity, disruptions, disasters, and workforce succession.
A Strategic Business Imperative
Water management is a strategic imperative for consumer and industrial goods manufacturers that drive compliance, efficiency, and profitability while strengthening environmental stewardship.
Water doesn’t have to be an exhausting and isolating job. Antea Group is in the “business” of water, and we can partner with you and your teams to manage hurdles, ensure compliance, and build resilience.
Questions? Reach out to our Water Management team today to get answers.
