From water inventory, water balance to continuous improvement, establish a water resource efficiency management system with visible results
When companies only look at monthly water bills or total water usage, it’s difficult to know where water is being used, which processes or equipment are inefficient, when water leaks occur, and whether changes in production are actually saving water. In the face of water shortages, droughts, water supply interruptions, costs and customer sustainability requirements, a single water-saving project is not enough to ensure that the results are sustainable.
The ISO 46001 water resource efficiency management system assists organizations in taking inventory of water sources, uses, equipment and processes, establishing water use reviews, major water uses, performance indicators, baselines, goals, action plans and monitoring mechanisms, and continuously improving water efficiency through the ideas of reduction, substitution and reuse.
Startrust combines the capabilities of environment, energy, carbon management, field instrumentation and digital systems to assist companies in converting standard requirements into water flow diagrams, data, responsibilities and improvement plans, and can also prepare third-party verification as needed.
- Establish a water balance of water intake, use, recycling, discharge and consumption
- Identify major water-use equipment, processes and related variables that affect efficiency
- Set water performance indicators, water use baselines and improvement targets
- Planning submetering, water leakage management, recycling and alternative water source solutions
- Complete preparation of system documents, internal audits, management reviews and verifications
Why do companies need to manage water efficiency?
Water shortages and water supply interruptions will affect operations
Businesses’ water risk goes beyond increased water bills. When drought, water restrictions, changes in water quality, or infrastructure failures occur in a region, critical processes, cooling, cleaning, boilers, livelihoods, and firefighting water may be affected. Understanding water sources, reserves, alternatives and critical water uses facilitates ongoing planning of operations.
The total table cannot support precise improvement
Results can only be presented for total monthly water consumption. Without process, equipment or area breakdown tables, companies cannot determine the proportion of cleaning, cooling, process, office or water leakage, and it is difficult to prove whether improvement measures are effective.
Customers and supply chains increasingly pay attention to water management
Sustainability reports, CDP questionnaires, brand customer and supply chain assessments may require companies to disclose water intake, water consumption, drainage, water risks, goals and improvement results. ISO 46001 can provide an institutionalized management foundation, but companies still need to prepare corresponding data according to individual disclosure frameworks.
Water, energy, carbon and costs are related to each other
Water extraction, pumping, heating, cooling, treatment and recycling all consume energy; reducing unnecessary water use may also reduce wastewater treatment, chemicals and carbon emissions. If water resource efficiency management is integrated with energy and carbon management, it can avoid improving a single indicator but increasing other environmental loads.
What is ISO 46001 Water Resources Efficiency Management System?
ISO 46001 provides requirements and guidelines for establishing, implementing and maintaining water resource efficiency management systems. It is applicable to organizations of all types and sizes that use water, focusing on how end users can continuously improve water efficiency.
The ISO official website shows that ISO 46001:2019 is still a published version and contains climate action amendments in 2024; this version will enter the revision process in 2025. At this stage, enterprises can still establish systems based on the current version, while retaining the flexibility to update files and data, and continue to pay attention to the progress of the new version and subsequent conversion arrangements.
Reduce, replace and reuse
- Reduction: Improve equipment efficiency, operating conditions, cleaning methods, water leakage and unnecessary water use.
- Substitution: Substitute higher-quality water sources with recycled water, rainwater, or other applicable water sources, subject to water quality and regulations.
- Reuse: Return process water, condensed water, gray water or treated water to suitable uses.
Strategy selection should not only look at water savings, but also consider water quality, sanitation, product quality, equipment safety, regulations, energy, chemicals and life cycle impacts.
ISO 46001 is not equal to the list of water-saving equipment
Standards do not dictate that all companies use the same technology. Organizations need to establish systems based on their own water sources, uses, processes, significant water uses, risks and improvement opportunities, and demonstrate that management processes and performance continue to operate.
What are the differences between ISO 46001, ISO 14046 and ISO 14001?
| Comparison Orientation | ISO 46001 | ISO 14046 | ISO 14001 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Continuously improve organizational water efficiency | Assess water footprint and potential environmental impact from a life cycle perspective | Establish an overall environmental management system |
| Management objects | Water intake, use, recycling, emissions and efficiency within the organization | Water-related environmental impacts of products, processes or organizations | Various environmental considerations of the organization |
| Typical results | Water use review, indicators, baselines, targets and improvement systems | Water footprint studies and impact assessment results | Environmental goals, operational controls and continuous improvement |
| Third-party verification | Optional management system verification | Can be subject to verification/audit based on research or project needs | Optional management system verification |
ISO 46001 answers “how organizations can continuously improve water efficiency”; ISO 14046 answers “what water-related environmental impacts water use may cause in different regions and life cycles”; ISO 14001 provides a broader environmental management structure. The three can complement each other, but cannot directly replace each other.
What should a water review include?
Water source and water supply conditions
Inventory tap, groundwater, surface water, recycled water, stormwater or other sources to document water quality, supply capacity, costs, permits, regional water stress and disruption risks.
Water use and flow direction
Establish a flow diagram from water intake, pre-treatment, process, cooling, cleaning, boiler, livelihood, recycling, treatment to discharge, and confirm the measurement, estimation and water quality requirements of each section.
Major water use
Companies can establish critical water use criteria based on water volume, improvement potential, water supply risks, regulations, costs, product quality or operational importance. Significant water use does not necessarily mean the largest use, but may be the process most critical to operations or water risk.
Variables affecting water efficiency
Production volume, product mix, cleaning batches, operating hours, temperature, water quality and yield can all affect water use. Enterprises need to identify significant relevant variables in order to establish reasonable indicators and baselines.
Opportunities for improvement
Improvements may include operational adjustments, leak repairs, equipment replacement, backwashing or cleaning optimization, condensate recovery, process water reuse, alternative water sources and employee behavior. Each option should evaluate technical, regulatory, quality, cost and other environmental impacts.
How to establish water performance indicators and water use baselines?
Indicators should correspond to management decisions
The company level can focus on the total water withdrawal, total water consumption and recovery rate; the factory can use water per unit of output; the process or equipment can track the water used per batch, per working hour or per cleaning. Metrics should allow those responsible to see abnormalities and improvements, rather than just collecting numbers for reporting purposes.
Distinguish between water intake, water use, water consumption and drainage
These terms may have specific definitions in different disclosure regimes. Enterprises should establish consistent fields and calculation rules to avoid directly treating water intake as water consumption, or double counting of circulating water in the factory.
Establish a representative baseline
The data during the baseline period should be complete and representative, and should describe relevant variables such as output, climate, operating hours or product mix. If there is a factory expansion, process change or major equipment adjustment, it is necessary to evaluate whether to recalculate.
Ensure measurements and estimates are traceable
Water meter location, meter reading frequency, meter calibration, missing value processing and estimation methods will all affect the credibility of the indicator. If the initial metering is insufficient, gaps can be established based on water balance and reasonable estimates, and then measuring points can be measured according to major water use plans.
Which companies are suitable for import?
- Food, beverage, textile, paper, chemical, electronics, semiconductor or other water-intensive industries
- Medical, campus, hotel, shopping mall, data center or large building
- Located in areas with high water pressure, easy water restriction or unstable water supply
- The process is highly sensitive to water quality or water supply continuity
- Already have ISO 14001 and hope to further deepen water resources management
- Clients demand disclosure of water resources risks, targets and performance
- Total water use continues to increase, but yield and efficiency impacts cannot be distinguished
- A recycling system has been established, but there is a lack of continuous performance and benefit tracking
Businesses don’t have to wait for a high water usage or water shortage event to begin. If water is critical to operations, costs, quality or the supply chain, it is worth establishing a water and risk baseline first.
Common water management issues in enterprises
There is only a total water meter, but no water balance.
The difference between water intake and discharge may result from product carry-over, evaporation, cooling, water leakage, estimation errors, or unmetered spurs. Without flow diagrams and balance, it is difficult to prioritize improvements.
Water usage per unit output does not consider product mix
Different products or processes have different water requirements. If the product mix changes, using only total output for normalization may cause misjudgments, and more appropriate relevant variables need to be selected.
High recovery rate, but increased overall energy or quality costs
Water recovery may require pumping, membrane treatment, heating or chemicals. Improvement plans should simultaneously assess energy, carbon emissions, water quality, waste and product risks to avoid optimizing a single indicator.
Water leakage can only be discovered by on-site personnel
Nightly base load, continuous traffic and zone data can help identify anomalies. Without benchmarks and warnings, small leaks can add up to massive waste over time.
System and sustainable disclosure are maintained separately
On-site management uses one set of numbers, and reports or customer questionnaires reorganize another set, which can easily lead to inconsistencies in definitions and boundaries. Common water data sources and review processes should be established.
How does Startrust assist enterprises in importing?
1. Requirements, scope and water risk confirmation
Confirm the base, operating activities, water sources, regulations, customer requirements, verification needs and existing ISO systems, and establish the introduction scope and work plan.
2. Water data and current situation inventory
Compile water bills, water rights or permits, water meters, processes, equipment, emissions, recycling and historical improvement data to create a list of data sources and gaps.
3. Flow diagram and water balance
Through on-site inventory and interviews, we establish the flow relationship between water intake, use, recycling, consumption, treatment and discharge, and check for unmeasured or unreasonable differences.
4. Water use review and major water use identification
Analyze water consumption, operational importance, risks and improvement potential, and identify significant water use, related variables, affected personnel and improvement opportunities.
5. Establishing indicators, baselines and goals
Establish water performance indicators and baselines by management level, define recalculation rules, and set measurable goals and action plans.
6. Institutional documents and operational control
Establish procedures for data management, major water operations, equipment maintenance, procurement design, abnormal water leakage, capabilities and documentation records, and integrate them with ISO 14001 or other systems.
7. Monitoring, improvement and effectiveness verification
Track indicators, baselines and action plans, check measurement quality and abnormalities, and help compare efficiency and overall environmental benefits before and after improvement.
8. Internal audit, management review and verification preparation
Arrange internal audits, defect improvement and management reviews, organize information required for third-party verification, and support responses to questions raised by independent verification agencies.
Coaching content and deliverables
Main counseling work
- ISO 46001 gap analysis and introduction plan
- Inventory of water sources, uses, regulations and risks
- Creation of water flow diagram and water balance
- Water use review and major water use determination
- Water performance indicators and water use baseline setting
- Goals, action plans and effectiveness verification
- System documents, forms and operational control
- Education and training, internal audit and management review
- Pre-validation review and improvement support
Expected deliverables
- Gap analysis and project work plan
- List of water sources, uses and data sources
- Water flow diagram and water balance
- List of significant water uses and related variables
- Water performance indicators, baselines and recalculation principles
- Improvement solutions for water conservation, substitution and reuse
- Water resource efficiency management procedures and forms
- Monitoring measurement and data quality requirements
- Internal audit and management review information
- Verification preparation and improvement tracking checklist
The actual delivery project is confirmed based on points, water sources, process complexity, instrument data and verification scope; the verification certificate is issued by an independent verification agency in accordance with its procedures.
What changes can be brought about after importing?
From just looking at water bills to understanding the actual flow of water
Companies can understand where water comes from, where it is used, where it is recycled and how it is finally discharged, so improvements no longer rely solely on experience.
From total reduction to judging real efficiency improvement
Water performance indicators and baselines can take into account differences in yields, product mix or climate to avoid mistaking production reductions for water savings.
From a single water-saving project to a continuous improvement system
Improvement opportunities are assessed, prioritized, implemented and verified, and are continuously resourced and tracked through management review.
From improvising during water shortages to managing risks beforehand
By understanding key water uses, water source dependencies, reserves and alternatives, companies can incorporate water risks into operations continuity and procurement decisions.
From separate management of water, energy and carbon to integrated assessment
Improvement plans can simultaneously examine water use, energy, carbon emissions, costs, water quality and waste to reduce conflicting indicators.
Why choose Startrust?
Water resource efficiency management requires systems, processes and data capabilities. Startrust can extend from the establishment of ISO 46001 system to water meter and flow meter inventory, data acquisition, abnormal monitoring and management reports, assisting enterprises to improve in stages according to actual management needs.
We can also assist companies to integrate ISO 46001 with ISO 14001, ISO 50001 and carbon inventory processes, so that water, energy, carbon and environmental data can be used with consistent responsibilities, audits and management rhythms to avoid repeated collection of each project.
FAQ
What is the difference between ISO 46001 and ISO 14046 water footprint?
ISO 46001 focuses on how organizations establish water efficiency management systems; ISO 14046 assesses water footprints and potential environmental impacts from a life cycle perspective. The former focuses on management systems, while the latter focuses on quantitative evaluation. The two can complement each other.
Which industries are most suitable for introducing ISO 46001?
Industries that use high water use, have high water costs, are located in water-stressed areas, have continuity of water supply, or are sensitive to water quality are generally of greatest urgency. But service industries, healthcare, campuses and large buildings can also improve water and risk management through systems.
Do I need to install many water meters before importing?
uncertain. You can first use the master meter, existing sub-meters, equipment data and water balance to identify major gaps, and then plan measurement points according to decision-making needs. The number of meters should be consistent with the management value.
Can recycled water be incorporated into efficiency improvements?
Recycling sources, uses, water quality, regulations, energy and chemical requirements need to be identified. Increased recycling rates do not necessarily represent increased overall environmental benefits and should be fully evaluated.
How to compare water efficiency when production changes?
Significant relevant variables that affect water use should be identified, and appropriate EnPI and baselines should be established for unit products, batches, working hours or statistical models, rather than just comparing total water consumption.
Can ISO 46001 be integrated with ISO 14001?
Can. ISO 14001 provides the overall environmental management framework, while ISO 46001 provides in-depth water review, indicators, baselines and improvements. Both can share documentation, auditing and management review processes.
The current version is being revised. Is it still suitable for import?
Enterprises can still establish basic systems and data capabilities in accordance with the current ISO 46001:2019. Since the new version is under development, it is recommended to adopt documents and processes that are easy to update, and continue to pay attention to the official release and subsequent conversion arrangements of the verification agency.
Extended reading and related services
- What is ISO 46001? How can companies establish water resource efficiency management systems?
- What is the difference between ISO 14046 and ISO 46001?
- How do food factories establish water efficiency and water resources management systems?
- ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Tutoring
- ISO 50001 Energy Management System Tutoring
- ISO 50001 Management Module
If you are evaluating the introduction, you can first prepare the water bill or water intake data, water meter configuration, main processes and equipment, drainage and recycling data for the past one to three years, as well as the current water shortage or customer requirements, and let the consultant help determine the priority of water balance and measurement improvement.