Ecolab has achieved Water Stewardship Verified (WAVE) certification from The Water Council, affirming its commitment to attaining Net Positive Water Impact through comprehensive conservation measures across its U.S. facilities. The WAVE certification program aids corporations in accelerating their water stewardship efforts and reporting, demonstrating that Ecolab has prioritized impactful water-related actions benefiting its operations, customers, partners, and local communities.
The certification, independently verified by The Water Council, assists organizations in assessing enterprise-wide water uses, impacts, and risks. It provides a framework to achieve sustainability goals through significant site-level measures. Emilio Tenuta, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at Ecolab, stated, “Effective water stewardship at our operations remains central to Ecolab achieving a net positive water impact by 2030. This WAVE certification is a further testament to the incredible work of the Ecolab team to implement an enterprise-wide water stewardship strategy that complements our local actions.”
Ecolab's vision for 2030 Positive Impact includes a target to reduce its water impact by 40 percent per unit of production across its enterprise. In 2023, the company successfully executed water stewardship projects, resulting in over 153 million gallons (~580,000 cubic meters) of water savings. Leveraging these successes, Ecolab extends its expertise and technology to assist customers in achieving their own water stewardship goals. Notably, in 2023, Ecolab helped customers save 226 billion gallons of water and is on track to aid in conserving 300 billion gallons of water by 2030.
As part of its robust water risk assessment and action plan, Ecolab focuses on implementing strategies for water reduction, reuse, recycling, and replenishment at its facilities, particularly in regions facing high water stress. These efforts aim to protect the water resources of surrounding communities. This includes initiatives such as using non-potable water in production processes, deploying advanced water reclaim systems, and protecting and restoring local watersheds through nature-based solutions. Ecolab remains dedicated to continuously improving its practices in water conservation, reuse, recycling, and restoration wherever it operates.
Having completed the rigorous process to earn WAVE Certification, Ecolab underscores the critical importance of sourcing high-integrity data, utilizing real-time insights, and adopting a comprehensive enterprise-wide approach to smart water management. The company's commitment to responsible water stewardship practices is increasingly significant as consumer expectations rise and the global water crisis intensifies.
