auma produced thewater footprint study of a chemical plant in Vallès Occidental: quantifying how much water each process really consumes and what impact it has in a territory under growing water stress, as the step before any reduction plan.
Project overview
| Client | Chemical manufacturer (confidential) |
| Market | Industry |
| Practice area | Water |
| Location | Vallès Occidental (Spain) |
| Services | Water footprint study |
| Year | 2025 |
The challenge
Chemical manufacturing is water-intensive and operates in a basin with recurring drought. The starting point was the usual one:
- A global figure, not a useful one: total billed consumption was known, but not what each process used.
- Water beyond the meter: embedded water in supplies and the quality of returned water also had to be considered.
- Basin context: the same cubic metre does not carry the same impact in a water-stressed territory as elsewhere.
The auma solution
The study follows the ISO 14046 framework, which assesses impact rather than volume alone:
- Water inventory broken down by process and consumption point, using real operating data.
- Impact analysis accounting for basin scarcity and the quality of water abstracted and returned.
- Identification of the critical points where action delivers most effect per euro invested.
The result
- The plant holds a water map by process, not a single headline figure.
- Critical points identified and ranked, as the basis for a future reduction and reuse plan.
- A water indicator fit for sustainability reporting and customer requirements.
Nobody reduces what they don't measure. With water the headline figure also misleads: what matters is which process consumes, when, and in which basin.
Frequently asked questions
What is a company's water footprint?
The indicator quantifying the water consumption associated with an activity and assessing its environmental impact, considering volume, source, quality and basin scarcity. ISO 14046 sets the methodology.
How is it different from reading the water bill?
The bill gives a global mains volume. A water footprint breaks it down by process, includes other sources (well, rainwater, reclaimed), accounts for returned water and its quality, and weights impact by local water stress.
What is a water footprint study for?
To prioritise efficiency and reuse investments where they actually matter, to answer customer and sustainability reporting requirements, and to anticipate restrictions during drought episodes.
Do you know how much water each process in your plant uses?
We measure the water footprint and tell you where to act first, on technical and basin-level grounds.
Let's talk about your project