The Challenge
A facility consumed 12 million liters of water annually for cooling, cleaning, and processing. Water cost was ₹24 lakhs. No one had calculated the carbon footprint of this water consumption.
What Became Visible
Water-to-carbon analysis revealed: water sourcing and pumping = 0.35 kg CO2e per 1,000 liters, water treatment = 0.25 kg CO2e per 1,000 liters, wastewater treatment = 0.15 kg CO2e per 1,000 liters. Total water-related carbon = (0.35 + 0.25 + 0.15) × 12,000 = 85 tons CO2e annually. This was 9.3% of facility's total carbon footprint — larger than diesel generators (71 tons).
What Changed
Water consumption measurement installed. Water recycling system retrofitted on cooling systems. Process water reuse implemented. Overall water consumption target reduced 25%.
How it worked: Cooling tower recycling system was upgraded to enable 3-cycle reuse (vs 1-cycle previously). Process water was recaptured and filtered for reuse. These measures reduced fresh-water intake from 12 to 9 million liters annually while maintaining production.
Results
−25%
−21 tons
annual savings
less discharged
Water efficiency and carbon efficiency are linked through embedded energy costs. Water reduction is a dual-benefit intervention: saves water cost AND reduces carbon.
Operational Reality
Most facilities reduce water consumption 15–30% through recycling and process optimization, with proportional carbon reduction.