A flagship beverage production facility faced significant water limitations poised to impact production and growth targets. The facility was the largest water user in the community and had plans to expand capacity. The total cost of water was increasing rapidly and water availability and allocation were becoming a contentious social issue. The company faced various water allocation scenarios, including the implications of compounding events such as severe droughts.
Solution
Antea Group was retained to conduct a situational analysis using our water stewardship technical expertise and business acumen to provide the client with a working understanding of:
The likelihood that intermittent water supply disruptions currently faced by the facility could increase in frequency;
Government water supply and infrastructure plans and projections;
Drought severity and extreme weather projections;
Population growth and projected competition for scarce water resources; and,
Recommended strategies for the company to engage in the local community and promote scaled solutions to long-term water security.
Result
The in-depth analysis of the water situation first identified opportunities to conserve water and reduce the amount the company withdraws for their operations and secondly defined a plan for collective action with other major water-dependent industries and government and non-government partners.
The analysis served as the foundation for convening a roundtable of key players from business, government and the environmental sector in a bid to build consensus on water stewardship within the region. This roundtable is now collectively pursuing projects to protect local watersheds, working together to influence government, and sharing best practice to conserve water. Projects include water reuse and recycling, local river restoration, aquifer recharge, rainwater harvesting and catchment management.
