Insights
As a global leader in water solutions and services, Ecolab remains dedicated to creating a more water-secure future through smart water management, conservation and stewardship. By 2030 we plan to continue to achieve a Net Positive Water Impact through:
- Reducing, recycling and replenishing water at operational sites. We aim to reduce water impact by 40% per unit production across our enterprise from a 2018 base year.
- Protecting local watersheds by working to restore greater than 50% of our absolute water withdrawal volume at high-risk sites.
- Delivering outcomes through the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard by achieving AWS certification for Ecolab manufacturing sites located in high-risk watersheds.
Ecolab's manufacturing facility located in the Lampa district of Santiago, Chile, is a key contributor to these goals. The Santiago facility is a blend plant dedicated to manufacturing disinfectant and detergent products, along with specialized solutions for heavy industry applications. The Santiago facility primarily utilizes water sourced directly from the Maipo-Mapocho Aquifer, an essential part of the Maipo River Basin. Ecolab holds rights for groundwater extraction and operates its own system to draw water from a well located on the property. The Santiago facility has an on-site wastewater treatment plant dedicated to treating domestic effluents using a sequential batch reactor (SBR) with activated sludge to reduce organic matter. The treated, clarified water is disinfected through chlorination and dichlorination, to meet regulatory standards. This treated water is then recovered in the fire protection system for reuse. Industrial liquid waste is managed externally by Bravo Energy, which handles and treats these specific residuals.
The Santiago facility was identified as a priority location to pursue AWS certification, enhance the site's smart water management approach and implement innovative technologies to advance enterprise water goals.
Actions
To contribute to Ecolab's enterprise water goals, the local team's objective is to reduce annual water use per ton of product by 40% from 2018 to 2030.
The following projects help improve the facility's water balance and have been implemented to reduce overall water use:
- Optimization of the industrial reverse osmosis pretreatment system.
- Enhancements to water usage monitoring, which led to the identification and completion of a leak repair project.
- Improved batch production planning, which led to a reduction of mixer washes.