Working together for circular water management

The companies that participated in the benchmark use various technologies to purify and reuse water. Some examples include membrane filtration, infiltration, activated carbon and sand and bag filters, ion exchangers and de-ironing. They also try to capture and utilise rainwater. However, cooperation across site boundaries continues to lag behind to date. So far, less than 10% of companies have managed to reduce water consumption by cooperating with neighbouring companies. This is due to limited water availability, stringent quality requirements, regulations and financial considerations, which make further progress difficult.

The benchmark highlights the importance of cooperation between companies to promote water conservation and reuse. Currently, potential remains unexploited, causing companies to miss opportunities. It is therefore essential to join forces and share knowledge. By participating in platforms such as the Industry Forum and partnerships with Voka Antwerpen-Waasland and VITO, Antea Group wants to contribute to a circular water infrastructure.

Rational and circular water use in industry is key in the face of increasing drought and water scarcity. According to the benchmark, many companies in our region already have concrete plans to promote sustainable water use. They want to become as self-sufficient as possible in terms of their water resources. As many as 60% of respondents have concrete goals to reduce their water consumption. About 65% of them want to reduce water use by 10% to 50% by 2030, in line with European targets.

Respondents indicate that they apply different methodologies and technologies to reduce their water use. They mainly focus on

• improving the efficiency of processes;
• reusing water (both internally and externally);
• buffering and using rainwater;
• using lower-quality water in the same processes.

Around 60% of companies record water use for each process step and optimise the use of the least vulnerable water source. And this is good, because it is vital to protect and conserve our water resources. This can be done by using advanced technologies and innovative approaches that can help companies optimise their water use and implement circular water management systems. By mapping water flows, we can identify inefficiencies and propose targeted water conservation and reuse measures.

"The benchmarks show that the road to sustainable production and business is indeed set. What is technically possible is already being implemented effectively today, the many investments in the industrial fabric also confirm. But there is still work to be done: manufacturing companies need to find new ways of working together, learn to deal with a higher degree of complexity, rethink the business plan, master new technologies and retrain people. The government could play a role to help facilitate this transition," Nadia Werkers says.