BOSTON — Schneider Electric has released new analysis to highlight the pivotal role industry in the United States (US) has to play in safeguarding the country’s freshwater reserves.
The new findings from Schneider Electric, TIME and Statista’s most sustainable company in the world for 2024, were announced at WEFTEC 2024, North America’s most comprehensive gathering of water quality professionals. The analysis – produced in conjunction with Bluefield Research – identified that more than a third (38%) of U.S. states are already facing ‘medium to high’ or ‘extremely high’ water stress in 2024. Water stress is expected to increase in 40 out of 50 states between now and 20502.
“It’s encouraging that water availability and security are government priorities,” said Aamir Paul, President of North America Operations at Schneider Electric. “As one of the largest users of freshwater resources, industry has a responsibility to adopt more circular water management practices to preserve reserves for the future.”
The latest analysis from Schneider Electric shows that the energy sector has the largest freshwater withdrawals across all industrial sectors, using nearly 52 billion gallons of water each day (BGD)3 – the equivalent to 78,788 Olympic pools of water4. Today, the other sectors using several billion gallons of water per day (BGD) include Chemical & Pharma (3.9 BGD) 5, Pulp & Paper (3.5 BGD) 6, Food & Beverage (1.5 BGD) 7, Mining (1.6 BGD) 8, Semiconductor (0.2 BGD) 9, and Data Centers (0.2 BGD) 10.
Looking ahead to 2050, daily water withdrawals are expected to increase to 4.8 BGD in the Chemical & Pharma industry11. Daily water withdrawals will also increase in the Food & Beverage (1.7 BGD) 12, Data Centers (0.6 BGD) and Semiconductor (0.4 BGD) 13 industries by 2050.
The research goes on to highlight how, through the implementation of automation and digital technologies, industry can be more efficient in its water usage, adopting more circular water management practices to reduce water usage and minimize waste.
Schneider Electric helps its industrial customers reduce water usage through innovative solutions that leverage automation and advanced digital technologies. Through chemical usage optimization and enhanced data visibility, energy efficiency, and predictive maintenance, Schneider Electric empowers industrial companies to leverage smart decision-making and improved operational efficiency.
Additionally, Schneider Electric supports customers to harness water recirculation, including the recovery and reuse of treated water within industrial processes to minimize freshwater intake and reduce wastewater discharge. Its EcoStruxure™ Platform helps here by bringing data visibility from connected products and edge control to apps, analytics, and services to drive sustainability and streamline operations. Join us at the Schneider Electric WEFTEC Booth (Booth 4641) to discover the future of sustainable and digitized industrial water management.
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