Operational Water Stewardship Services for Industry

Water is essential across all industrial sectors and business operations, both within companies' own activities and throughout their value and supply chains. Water has been increasingly recognized as a crucial aspect of responsible corporate conduct and business continuity. Managing water-related risks involves more than just compliance with regulations and permits. Companies can significantly contribute to achieving water management objectives through their operations. AFRY supports its clients in this effort by offering tailored water stewardship services to all industrial sectors. Our experts help identify water risks and opportunities throughout the entire catchment area, considering social and societal impacts as well.

Examples of our services:

Current State and Gap Analyses
Through a structured analysis, we determine the client's baseline, what information exists regarding water stewardship, and what additional information is needed. Information needs are assessed from the perspective of the entire catchment area.

Assessment of Water Footprint
We assist our clients in evaluating the water footprint of their operations or products i.e. the impacts of their water usage. This may include monitoring water consumption, analysing processes, and providing recommendations for optimizing water usage. These actions are extend beyond the client´s own premises to consider the entire catchment area and the supply and value chains.

Identification, Assessment, and Management of Water Risks 
We help our clients in assessing water risks throughout the entire lifecycle of their operations, from planning to closure, considering the situation of the catchment area and the entire value chain according to the client's needs.

Roadmaps 
Roadmaps for planning of actions and impact assessments, ensuring that necessary information is available in a timely and sufficient manner and in the required scope.

Technical-Economic Planning 
We provide our clients with water management plans, waste management plans, closure plans, and stakeholder engagement plans. Additionally, we offer comprehensive planning services for water management (e.g., water intake, treatment, sludge management), monitoring, and reporting. Water management planning is closely linked to infrastructure planning and impact assessments.

Modeling 
We assist our clients by creating various models to support planning and impact assessment. We understand the diversity of models, their interconnections, and the initial data needs. Water-related modeling examples include hydrogeological models, soil-vegetation-climate models, geochemical models, water and material balance models, watercourse flow models, pollutant transport models, network modeling, etc.

Impact Assessment and Permitting 
We help our clients integrate impact assessments into technical planning. Technical planning is based on the identification of original risks, and the impacts and residual risks of planned activities are assessed before finalizing the design package. When catchment area-level risks are considered at the initial stages of planning, permitting also becomes smoother.

Water Efficiency 
We conduct water efficiency analyses for our clients, for example, to optimize water usage in production facilities. We also perform technology comparisons and provide suggestions for operational enhancements to reduce both risks and costs.

Compliance with (Water) Legislation and Frameworks 
We assist our clients in ensuring compliance with national and international legislation, regulations, and permit conditions. Additionally, we help our clients prepare for changes in regulations.

Stakeholder Collaboration 
AFRY can assist organizations establish cooperation with stakeholders, such as authorities, other businesses, NGOs, and actors within their own value/supply chain. Collaboration can promote water stewardship on a larger scale and lead to more impressive results.