Conserving water
Conserving water is an important priority and we use water responsibly throughout our operations. As fresh water scarcity increases, due to population growth and low rainfall, we have set ourselves ambitious water-reduction targets that will deliver tangible environmental and business benefits.
We use water throughout our operations and manufacturing processes. We’re reducing the amount of potable water (drinking water) we use, and are committed to efficiently and sustainably managing water in our quarries, whether it’s abstracted, from natural springs or other sources.
Our actions
Water management working group
In 2011, to ensure that our water conservation efforts are on track, we established a working group to review the management of water across the business and to identify potential risks and opportunities for ongoing improvement. Recommendations from this group have already delivered improvements in the way we capture, track and report our water data.
Reducing use of potable water
Because potable (drinking quality) water is treated to remove impurities, it carries a greater environmental footprint than abstracted water. Therefore, we have focused our conservation efforts on potable water.
The manufacturing processes for products such as ready mixed concrete and mortar use significant amounts of potable water, so we’re seeking to reduce the amount we use here. We’re doing this by:
- setting and monitoring water targets
- using wedge pits and water recirculation in concrete and mortar operations
- using abstracted water in place of potable water where possible.
Our approach is paying dividends, and, in 2011, the volume of potable water that we used per unit of concrete and mortar was 33% less than our 2004 baseline. We’re working towards meeting our target of a 45% reduction by the end of 2012.
Managing water in quarries
In our quarrying operations, we abstract water under environmental permits for use in quarry processes. This is untreated ground or surface water sourced local to the site. We also manage water that is present on site as a result of our quarrying operations – such as when we quarry below the water table, where there are natural springs in the quarry or where there is surface runoff.
To meet relevant environmental regulations, we make use of abstracted ground or surface water at our quarries and other operations. Abstracted water is reused, where appropriate, and all water discharged back into the environment is treated and purified to meet required regulatory standards.
In 2011, Tarmac abstracted 14.7 million cubic metres of water, returning much of this back to the environment. Our proactive approach to water management means we continue to explore new ways of reducing our use of abstracted water and increasing our use of recycled water. We use abstracted water in processes such as aggregate washing, dust suppression and vehicle washing, as well as in manufacturing processes like hydrated lime production and cement plant cooling.
