Employee at Ecolab’s Suzano, Brazil Plant

Ecolab Suzano, Brazil Plant Certified Water Stewardship Leader

Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Case Study

Background

Ecolab’s manufacturing facility located in Suzano, Brazil, near São Paulo, Brazil, is a blend and reaction plant that primarily produces industrial water treatment chemicals. The Suzano facility sources groundwater from the Precambrian Aquifer and municipal water from the Alto Tietê Production System, a series of reservoirs along the Tietê river within the Alto Tietê river basin. Drinking water is sourced from the Guarani Aquifer. Wastewater is sent to both municipal and industrial streams for treatment before discharging into the Tietê river. 

In alignment with Ecolab’s commitment to a holistic approach to water management across its manufacturing facilities, in 2022, the company achieved the Core Certification for Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) International Water Standard at its Suzano plant. The Facility has continued to stay up to date on AWS requirements to uphold the core certification. 

Situation

The team at Ecolab’s Suzano plant assessed the facility for opportunities to decrease water use across operations to meet Ecolab’s 2030 Impact Goals to reduce water impact by 40% per unit production across the enterprise and further restore greater than 50% of absolute water withdrawal volume at high-risk sites. Aligned with these enterprise goals, the local team’s objective was to reduce water withdrawal per ton of product by 3.33% on average each year from 2018 to 2022.

Water reduction opportunities were identified in the following areas:   

Improvement in water flow monitoring, enhancements in process equipment washout processes and introduction of a prioritization plan to address water-related maintenance issues. Also, the creation of a sustainability department. These opportunities involved collaboration across the Corporate Sustainability and Suzano Engineering and Safety, Health and Environment teams. 

A comprehensive risk assessment was performed leveraging insights from Ecolab’s Smart Water Navigator, and the World Resources Institute (WRI) Aqueduct Atlas to identify shared and site-level water challenges. Implementation of water withdrawal reduction projects was prioritized based on risk probability and impact to site-level and community stakeholders. Of the five water outcomes of the AWS Standard, Suzano focused on sustainable water balance, good water quality and good water governance balancing relevancy and risk to the site.

AWS certification data 1.3 million gallons of water reduced and $33,500 USD risk=adjusted cost savings

With the aim to improve overall health of local watersheds, and as part of Ecolab’s 2030 Impact Goals, we have prioritized AWS certification in high-risk watersheds in which we operate.

AWS Certification Plant Imagery

Solution

The following projects help improve the facility’s water balance and have been initiated to reduce overall water use:

  • Implementation of Ecolab’s own 3D TRASAR™ Technology for Cooling Water to provide advanced monitoring, control and asset protection of cooling water systems
  • Improvement in water flow monitoring through the installation of hydrometers and an online monitoring system to provide enhanced control and visibility to water use throughout the plant
  • Construction of a rainwater harvesting system for use throughout operations
  • Optimization of process equipment washout processes
  • Utilization of a Total Plant Management program to create and maintain a cross-functional team tasked with identifying and addressing water losses across the plant through preventative maintenance and continuous improvement projects
  • Implementation of washing campaigns and washing matrix
  • Water reuse factory processes
  • Creation of facility sustainability department
  • Wetland utilization for wastewater treatment

Ecolab’s 3D TRASAR™ Technology for Boilers will also be employed at the site to offer advanced boiler water automation and control which will result in additional water, energy and emissions savings while improving reliability.

These combined efforts contributed to the Suzano plant’s progress towards their average 3.33% annual water intensity reduction target by achieving an overall reduction of 19% water withdrawal per ton of product in 2022 from a 2018 base year.

An average annual water reduction of 1.3 million gallons,
equivalent to $33,500 in risk-adjusted cost savings,
was achieved from 2018 to 2022.

Performance

  • Positive Water Impact | Average annualized water withdrawal reduction of 1.3 million gallons (~5,000 m3) resulting in a 19% reduction of water use per ton of product realized in 2022 from a 2018 base year
  • Economic Results | $33,500 in average annualized risk-adjusted cost savings per year
map of brazil locating ecolab’s suzano plant location, the Precambrian aquifer and Alto Tietê river basin
chart detailing water savings progress at Ecolab's Suzano plant

Water Governance

At the plant level, the safety, health and environment team is responsible for managing the quality of water, effluents and wastewater discharges, as well as all legal requirements on the subject. The utilities, logistics, production and maintenance teams are responsible for executing water saving projects. The utilities team is also responsible for operating the industrial water and effluent treatment system, monitoring wastewater discharge and collecting relevant samples.

To maintain good wastewater quality, temperature and pH are continuously adjusted. Complete analysis is carried out monthly and annual analysis is sent to the São Paulo State sanitation station and environmental agency to ensure system compliance. The quality of water received for drinking water is tested monthly and process water is tested annually.

If a spill or water-related issue were to occur, the Suzano site has a robust incident response plan that includes a root cause analysis of the original incident, a review by the leadership team, documentation in an internal reporting platform and communication of mitigation strategies during monthly site meetings. The site has not had any water-related violations in the past year.

The Sustainability Team is guided and advised by the Sustainability Executive Advisory Team, which is made up of the company’s most senior business and divisional leaders. In addition, Ecolab’s Sustainability, Water Stewardship and Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) positions are publicly available and serve as commitments to and guidance on water-related issues and compliance. Ecolab’s Sustainability Position formalizes Ecolab’s global commitment to sustainability within the company and its impact on customers. Ecolab’s Water Stewardship Position reinforces Ecolab’s global commitment to responsible water stewardship by identifying opportunities for the company and its customers to use water resources in a manner that benefits business, communities and nature. Ecolab’s SHE position outlines the Company’s commitment to excellence in safety, health and environmental practices and performance across global operations.

Water Stewardship Journey

In addition to internal operational improvements, Ecolab’s Suzano facility’s external water stewardship activities are ongoing. Shared challenges between the plant and relevant, local stakeholders include water scarcity, water quality and the physical water risk of flooding. To address these shared issues, Ecolab collaborates with other water users in the basin.

Site employees have participated in numerous social projects in conjunction with Ecolab’s Brazil sales and services teams to raise awareness and importance of water in the community through the creation of wall art and other public works. The facility engages with public stakeholders including municipal water sanitation providers, a variety of private companies in the area and several non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Additionally, through Ecolab’s founding membership in the United Nations (UN) Water Resilience Coalition, work to launch a São Paulo chapter of the Coalition was initiated, which expands collective action engagement to medium and small companies in the area on shared water challenges.

Moreover, Ecolab has committed to a project in partnership with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) through the São Paulo Water Fund. The primary objective of this project is to protect and improve water security in the metropolitan area of São Paulo. Through the São Paulo Water Fund, at least 220 hectares of forest land within the municipalities of Mogi das Cruzes and Salesópolis will be protected, both of which are located within the headwaters of the Upper Tietê watershed. Project partners engage with rural landowners, map existing forests for conservation and restoration and identify improvements to rural sanitation. Voluntary conservation agreements with landowners are negotiated, which align with Municipal Water Conservation Policies that already exist in the municipalities. Once signed, these agreements compensate rural landowners to conserve their forested lands. The project leverages funding to expand access to basic sanitation within rural areas by replacing rudimentary systems with advanced technologies in Salesópolis and/or Mogi das Cruzes. Not only will the project replenish 29.4 million gallons of water each year for 10 years starting in 2023, but it will also maintain groundwater storage and recharge, surface water quality and abundance and diversity of native plant species. Additionally, it is projected to maintain or improve carbon sequestration, lending to enhanced climate adaptation and mitigation strategies and improved human health in the area.

On top of local water stewardship efforts, Ecolab’s global giving program, Solutions for Life, enhances the company’s mission to conserve and protect fresh water through partnership and additional projects with TNC and the Project WET Foundation.

 

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