Subject

Water is essential to life and forms part of the environment. Global concern for the state of the environment has identified that water resources are subject to significant pressures from water demand and from the impacts of climate change. The pressures on organizations to implement water efficiency programmes can arise from limited water resources and exist particularly in resource exploitation activities such as mining, forestry, oil and gas extraction, and in agriculture. They might also arise from commercial, institutional and industrial activities whether water is supplied by water utilities or comes directly from the environment.

As pressure grows to improve the quality of the environment and increase sustainability, organizations of all types and sizes are increasingly turning their attention to the environmental impacts of their activities, products and services. This might include measuring the water footprint of an activity or striving towards a more efficient use of water within an organization. Achieving sound water efficiency performance requires organizational commitment to a systematic approach and to the achievement of continual improvement in water use through a water efficiency management system.

Water efficiency management, like quality management, environmental management and energy management could be a matter of vital interest in promoting sustainable economic activities, industries and ultimately a sustainable environment. The introduction of water efficiency programs is often, but not always, triggered by a shortage in water supply.

Standards

ISO 46001 is an International Standard for Water efficiency management systems that specifies requirements and contains guidance regarding organizational water use.

It covers monitoring, measurement, documentation, reporting, design and procurement practices for equipment, systems, processes and personnel training that contribute to water efficiency management. It enables organizations to assess and account for their water use, and to identify, plan and implement measures to achieve water savings through the systematic management of water regardless the purposes of its use including but not limited:

  • cleaning
  • transportation
  • heating and cooling
  • manufacturing a product and as part of a product
  • drinking
  • sanitation
  • irrigation
  • fire suppression
  • recreational, water sport and aesthetic purposes

The adoption and proper implementation of a water efficiency management system is intended to result in improved water efficiency and can help to achieve the following outcomes:

  1. identifying water as a resource that can be considered as part of organizational and budgetary planning
  2. assisting an organization to better manage water use and optimize water demand
  3. recognizing the impact on others that can occur with changing water use
  4. ensuring a greater level of accountability in water use
  5. providing a process for regular review for possible improvement and adoption of opportunities arising in water efficiency

ISO 24591-1 is an International Standard for Smart water management that provides principles and guidelines for smart water management relating to drinking water, wastewater, stormwater systems and services. It is intended to help water utilities decrease operational expenditure, increase workforce efficiency and increase user engagement and satisfaction. It also helps guide a new generation of water utilities during their uptake of digital strategy and integration into water services adapted to their context, and accelerates collaboration with public agencies and other businesses in the smart cities field.

The following are within the scope of this document:

  • principles and guidelines for design of smart water management system;
  • principles and guidelines for operation and maintenance of smart water management systems;
  • principles and guidelines for governance of smart water management system.

This document applies to all sizes of public or private water utilities that want to design, develop, implement, operate and/or maintain smart water management systems.

Our services

The SSA provides high quality services of:

  • Certification of water efficiency management system based on ISO 46001
  • Verification of application of smart water management principles and guidelines based on ISO 24591-1

The services include a complex of onsite and off-site assessment of processes in organization related to use of water as well as interaction of these processes in a systematic and effective and efficient way based on requirements and best practices.