What is ISO 14046 Water Footprint Evaluation?

There's one constant on this planet: everyone, and everything needs water. We discuss the recent ISO 14046 standards which help organizations across the planet identify and define their water footprint.

There's one thing we're pretty passionate about here at RMA - water. Over the years, we've done a lot of work with facilities trying to get a handle on their water situation, including stormwater permits, water management issues, and overall water usage. We find many companies now-a-days are trying their hardest to prove their operation is 'green' in any way they can. For some, this means taking a step back and looking at their "water footprint". What do I mean by that?

Organizations are trying to evaluate how well they are managing water on their site. This includes sourcing, usage, recycling, and disposal. We've often been asked if there's a formalized structure for this process, so that facilities can really benchmark themselves in an effort to reduce water usage. This has always been a great question, since without some form of structured approach, how can we compare apples to apples when it comes to water management and use? How can we tell if we're doing well, or if we are operating in a sustainable manner?

Understanding the ISO 14046 Water Footprint Evaluation Process

Enter the International Standards Organization. They've developed ISO 14046 for water footprint elation. This standard can help any facility, anywhere in the world examine their operation and determine their water footprint.

The concept of the ISO 14046 water footprint evaluation standard shouldn't be new to anyone familiar with a carbon footprint. It's the same idea, just based on water usage. It's a full accounting of water use involved with your process or operation. Using the ISO 14046 water footprint evaluation standard, you can produce a metric that can be used for benchmarking, among other uses, much in the same way a carbon footprint produces a metric on the amount of carbon embodied in an activity or a product. For water intensive industries, such as the concrete industry, this is a great opportunity to prove your product uses less resource than your competitor.

Many people are probably thinking "I can already figure out my water footprint". So why would anyone need the ISO 14046 water footprint evaluation standard? Simple: it will provide consistency, and accountability regardless of industry. No one comes with higher credentials than ISO standards provide, so following an ISO standard to calculate your water footprint will provide you with one of the most transparent, credible means of demonstrating the water embodied in your product or activity. Any other method lacks the credibility and consistency of an ISO standard. And in today's world where we're forced to compare different things, that is very important, and very helpful, to be able to do.

Overall, the ISO 14046 water footprint evaluation standard could be a powerful tool for your product, even if it's not that water intensive. If you're interested in learning more about this new ISO standard, click here to contact us or give us a call at 609-693-8301 to discuss your needs today.