U2-E2-1

U2-E2-2
The module consist on 4 elements: Motivation and Background ; Water assessment;
Water reduction options , Case study presentation

U2-E2-3
Facts

Today, 1.1 billion people ─ one in six ─ do not have access to a safe and adequate water
supply. This number could increase to 2.3 billion by 2025. (United Nations Development
Programme, PlayPumps International)
Of all water on Earth, 97.5% is salt water. Freshwater accounts for only 2.5% of the earth’s
water, and only a small fraction of this amount is available for human use. Some 70% is
frozen in the polar icecaps and the other 30% is mostly present as soil moisture or lies in
underground aquifers. In the end, less than 1% of the world’s fresh water (or about 0.007%
of all water on earth) is readily accessible in lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and in underground
sources shallow enough to be tapped at affordable cost. In other words, if all the earth’s
water fit in a gallon jug, available fresh water would equal just over a tablespoon. (World
Health Organization)
Millions of women and young girls spend hours everyday walking to collect water from
distant, often polluted water sources. This chore keeps girls out of school and restricts
women’s choices and opportunities. (United Nations Development Programme)
1.8 million people die every year from diarrheal diseases (including cholera), most of whom
are children under 5 in developing countries. Nearly 90% of these deaths are attributed to
unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation, or poor hygiene. Almost half of these deaths
are preventable; access to safe water and improved sanitation and hygiene, such as washing
one’s hands with soap, could save at least 1 million lives per year. (World Health
Organization, Healthy Environments for Children Alliance)

In the U.S., the average person uses 100-176 gallons of water at home each day. The
average African family uses about 5 gallons of water each day. (WaterPartners International)
Climate change is expected to account for about 20% of the global increase in water scarcity
this century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that global
warming will alter precipitation patterns around the world, melt mountain glaciers, and
worsen the extremes of droughts and floods. (World Resources Institute)

U2-E2-4
Freshwater use by sector at the beginning of the 2000s
The agricultural sector is by far the biggest user of freshwater. Most of our freshwater is used to grow food
and other agricultural crops. Worldwide, agriculture accounts for 80% of global water consumption, and in
Africa and Asia it accounts for 90%. To feed a growing world population, it is estimated that 14-17% more
fresh water will be needed for irrigation by 2030. (United Nations Environment Programme)
In the industrial sector, the biggest share of freshwater is stored in reservoirs and dams for electrical
power generation and irrigation. However, the volume of water evaporated from reservoirs is estimated to
exceed the combined freshwater needs of industry and domestic consumption. This greatly contributes to
water losses around the world, especially in hot tropical regions (UNESCO, 1999).
Domestic water use is related to the quantity of water available to populations in cities and towns. Analysis
indicates that:
People in developed countries on average consume about 10 times more water daily than those in
developing countries. It is estimated that the average person in developed countries uses 500-800 litres per
day (300 m3 per year), compared to 60-150 litres per day (20 m3 per year) in developing countries
(UNESCO, 2000).
Environmental implications
• Lack of quality water
• Pollution of water courses, oceans and underground water sources
• Water scarcity due to raising water consumption
Social implications
• Growing population (from 7 to 9 billion) will increase the water demand
• Increased the pressure on local water resources
• In the developing world, poor access to water will constrict economic growth , contributing to disease
and malnutrition and keeping women and youth from the classroom or the workforce

U2-E2-5
Without water, neither small businesses nor major global industries can function.
Not family farms or major agribusinesses.
Not energy production facilities or computer manufacturers or steel companies.
Similarly, poor water quality, or limited or unreliable access to water means higher
costs for all businesses – and all consumers.
Water scarcity means greater risks for a community’s long-term viability and a
negative impact on their competitiveness. It also means that a community’s ability to
grow and create jobs is at risk.
Regardless of whether water has become the new oil, one thing is certain: water is
ironically both taken for granted and serves as the engine of our economy. If not
properly managed, water scarcity will directly affect the local ability to grow and
create jobs

Facts
25 % of the total water consumption worldwide is by industry
The production of 1 l drinking milk consumes on average 5 l of water
The production of 1 kg of sugar consumes on average 15 l of water
The production of 1 kg of paper consumes on average 150 l of water

U2-E2-6
Water benefits could be direct: cutting direct cost with water and waste water and
indirect cost related to water treatment, distribution, equipment, taxes, etc.
Reduce water business risks - the specific risks that individual facilities face vary,
examples of water-related risks include water shortages and reliability issues, water
quality issues that drive the need for additional water treatment, increasing water
costs, and supply chain interruptions. In some water-scarce regions, there may be
challenges with meeting basic human needs for clean water and sanitation;
competition for scarce water resources may be intense between uses associated
with public water supply, agriculture, industry, and fisheries.

U2-E2-7
While direct water cost is not significant enough, the indirect cost can be significant, yet they are
often hidden in overhead or support cost centers .
Examples of water costs include:
• Raw Material Costs: Costs of measures to ensure that purchased water supply is of sufficient quality
for use at a facility. For example, some facilities may bear costs for labor, equipment, and materials
needed to improve water quality before use (e.g., when water is a key product ingredient), as well as
for chemicals and other raw materials needed to treat and manage water at the facility and before
discharging it. Water treatment costs associated with deionized water and reverse osmosis can be
substantial.
• Energy: Costs for the energy required to heat and cool water, pump or transfer water,
operate water-consuming equipment, treat water and wastewater, and other functions.
• Pollution Control: Wastewater service costs paid to a utility, and/or industrial pre-treatment costs,
for the energy, labour, materials, equipment, and chemicals needed to treat wastewater before
discharging it from the facility.
• Regulatory Compliance: Costs for regulatory compliance activities such as completing permit
applications and tracking and reporting wastewater discharges to regulatory agencies.

The cost of fresh and used water could be composed of the following elements:
•The cost of fresh water
•The cost of equipment
•The cost of energy
•The cost of labor
•The cost of treating water (fresh and used)
•Cost chemicals
•Cost waste
•Licensing costs, penalties, other charges

U2-E2-8
U2-E2-9
In order to perform the water analysis is necessary to understand:
Where the water is consumed - what are the water consumers, what are the sources of waste water
what is the real cost of fresh and used water to draw a water flowchart and the water material balance
to monitor the water consumption.
Conducting a walk through is an exercise in which employees and managers walk the factory floor
together to observe and inventory inefficiencies related to water use. The walk through has as main
purpose to identify major sources of water loss, such as leaks, that can be repaired for significant
savings. This approach will help to:
•Identify major sources of water loss such as leaks that can be quickly repaired
•Acquire a more complete understanding of the major uses of water and flows of water in the facility
•Create awareness of floor managers and workers regarding the importance of looking for and noticing
leaks and inefficiencies, helping to create a culture of water efficiency
The water balance is a chart, table, or diagram of a facility’s water use that shows the flows of water
into and out of each process or operation in the facility. It typically includes every water-consuming
component on-site and all flows out of the facility. A water balance can also include data on the cost of
water.
After completion of the first two steps the gathered information should be used to perform a route
cause analysis for identification of the main causes of inefficiency.
Several methods are available for developing a route cause analysis: for example fish bone diagram or
the “5 whys” technique.
The measures to reduce water use range from simple strategies, such as adjusting the flow of water or
installing water-saving devices on equipment, to more involved options such as reusing water or
changing to a low-water or waterless process.; should be than evaluated and implemented based on
their technical, economic and environmental feasibility.
Source: Lean Water Manufacturing Toolkit

U2-E2-10
Industrial uses account for about 20% of global freshwater withdrawals.
Of this, 57-69% is used for hydropower and nuclear power generation, 30-40% for
industrial processes, and 0.5-3% for thermal power generation (Shiklomanov, 1999).
Water is used in industry for different processes and activities. The way how the
water is used an processed in the main industrial sectors, including the performance
indicators’ benchmarking and best practices are described in detail in BAT, BREF
specific for each industry.

In order to reduce water waste in industry, it is important to understand the many

ways that water is used within facilities.
Understanding water end uses is critical to identifying water savings opportunities.
While end uses of water vary by industry and by facility, there are categories of water
use that are present at most industrial facilities, water use in most industries can be
classified into the following broad end uses:
• Cooling and heating (e.g., cooling towers and boilers)
• Auxiliary processes (e.g., dissolving, cleaning, transportation)
• Domestic use (e.g., restrooms, kitchens, and laundry)
• Production processing and in-product use

U2-E2-11
The figure illustrates how water flows through several different end uses at an
industrial facility; this diagram does not incorporate all reuse options.

U2-E2-12
The various usage of the water in the food processing sector is exemplified: main
processes that are requiring water are production processes, cleaning, etc.
One of the most intensive water consumer is the fish processing industry, the main
water consumers in fish industry are emphasized

U2-E2-13
Water is often used as a heating or cooling agent or in the production of other
utilities: steam , humidification, etc

U2-E2-14
..but also for domestic purpose at the tap, toilet or shower where large volumes of
water could be consumed especially for a big number of employees or intensive use
due to the industry type

U2-E2-15
The key areas included in a water audit are :
• Process and equipment use (eg, cleaning, washing, rinsing, metal finishing,
process water , pump and conveyor lubrication, water use in products, etc)
• Cooling and heating (eg, single-pass cooling, cooling towers, boilers, hot water,
steam, etc)
• Sanitary and domestic use (toilets, faucets showers, etc)
• Kitchen (cooking, washing, etc)
• Other facility support operations (eg.: laboratories, cleaning, QA testing, vehicle
washing, etc)

The water audit is meant to find unexpected losses (these can be observed best
when the facility is shout down) and reuse opportunities (knowing when lower water
quality is necessary)

U2-E2-16
The water flow diagram (WFD) is constructed by connecting the block diagrams of
individual unit operations.
For elaboration of the WFD, the team should keep the following points in mind:
• Use blocks to denote the operations. For each block, write the name of the operation
and any special operating conditions that need to be highlighted
• All data should be based on the same time unit (e.g. annual, quarterly etc.).
• The WFD may use symbols to add more information about the process. For instance,
indicate clearly whether the operations are batch or continuous. Also, solid and dotted
lines can be used to show continuous or intermittent release of emissions, respectively.
Colour codes may also be useful (e.g. green lines to indicate recycled streams and red
lines to indicate release of wastes).
• Wherever data is easily available, characterize the input and output streams.
When creating a water balance, make note of all water use in the facility and track water
flows from the source through all operations at the facility to water losses and outputs
including evaporative losses, input to products, and wastewater discharge. All uses of
water in a facility should be included in a water balance.
Identify:
Water sources, Consumers, Pipes, Water meters, Water reuses, Loses
Any similar documents from the past? -Update to current situation

Update regularly: at least 1 a year or if changes occur

U2-E2-17
The water balance should capture all of the flows into and out of each process at the
facility, and should verify that there is a balance between flows in and flows out.
Benefits of compiling a water balance include:
• Ability to identify processes that present the best targets for reducing water use
• Establishment of baseline water use data, from which improvements in efficiency
can be benchmarked
• Creation of a tool with which to compare different water-efficiency improvement
strategies

U2-E2-18
Establish a water team
Goals, responsibilities and resources
Define a water monitoring plan
Elaborate a list of available counters
Repair defect meters and install additional meters
Conduct daily or at least weekly readings
Prepare reading sheets; let operators read the counters in their area
Enter data in an electronic tool and evaluate weekly results
Use production figures
Compare with former data
React in case of deviations!
Investigate cause(s)
Implement improvement measures
Check effectiveness of measures

U2-E2-19
Water efficiency indicators are used for:
• Monitoring water consumption
• Comparing the actual to planned situation
• Comparing companies from same industries, benchmarking
• Comparison in time
• Demonstrating performances achieved in water efficiency

U2-E2-20
Continuous monitoring of water consumption provides an precise
perspective of consumed water volumes in different processes an if
consumption is justified.
Continuous monitoring represent a starting point in identification of causes
for inefficiency.

U2-E2-21
Examples of water counters.

U2-E2-22
Examples of measuring water consumption using a portable ultrasonic flow meter.

U2-E2-23
Questions to Identify Water-Savings Opportunities in Facility
Cleaning - Can process cleaning or facility cleaning be accomplished without using water
(i.e., using pressurized air to clean products or containers, sweeping debris off the floor)?
Process Equipment - can process equipment reuse water (closed loop) or use reclaimed
water from other parts of the facility?
Cooling and Heating - Has your facility replaced once-through cooling systems with a
multi-pass cooling tower or closed systems? Can you optimize the blow-down/bleed-off
controls on boilers?
Have you considered switching to air-cooled equipment instead of water-cooled
equipment? 3 Does your facility reuse condensate water?
Restrooms and Kitchen -Do restrooms have water-efficient fixtures (e.g. efficient toilets
and urinals, faucet aerators, and showerheads)?
Do kitchens use new water- and energy-efficient dishwashers
Landscaping and Irrigation - Has your facility designed its landscape to consider the local
climate and grouped plans by similar watering needs? 3 Does your facility use drip
irrigation, low-flow sprinklers, and optimized watering schedules to minimize water use?
Leaks Have you identified and repaired leaks throughout your facility?
Source: Lean and Water Efficiency Improvement Strategies

U2-E2-24
Standard working procedures
Standard working procedures refers to a set of working procedures previously
established and agreed upon (sometimes called standard operating procedures)
which offers the best and most reliable method of accomplishing a task or operation.
The standard operating procedures help maintain previous improvements and serves
as the basis for future improvement efforts continue visual inspection
Often used in the standard operating procedures, visual inspection supports
standard operating procedures and displays the status of activities so that every
employee can see and take appropriate action.

Visual inspection eases performing work in a fair and observing when there are
problems.
Proactive Maintenance
Key strategy for finding and preventing water loss, and other equipment damage

U2-E2-25
Its clearly noticeable that the water losses increase exponentially while the
diameter of the hole and pressure increases

U2-E2-26
You can work out the water losses through leakage by measuring the number of
drops per second

U2-E2-27
U2-E2-28
U2-E2-29
U2-E2-30
U2-E2-31
U2-E2-32
U2-E2-33
U2-E2-34
U2-E2-35
U2-E2-36
U2-E2-37
U2-E2-38
U2-E2-39
U2-E2-40
U2-E2-41
U2-E2-42
U2-E2-43
U2-E2-44