Project

Water Sustainability Study

A Water Sustainability Study was developed for an agricultural research unit with the objective of evaluating the local water availability for the activities carried out in the unit.

EBP was hired by an agrochemical industry to develop a Water Sustainability Study of one of its agricultural research and development unit.

This study was motivated by higher occurrence of water regime oscillations (water scarcity and high rainfall) experienced in Brazil, when the company detected the need to understand the risks related to water availability for its activities, since they depend primarily on water to be developed.

Based on this client need, the study was structured in order to map the processes related to water (supply, consumption, effluent) for the studied unit and to survey the history of water availability in the region, which were the basis for the development of the study.

Based on the information gathered, the unit's water balance was carried out, which indicated the bottlenecks for the company's activities and, as a result of the critical evaluation carried out, possible actions aimed at greater water sustainability of the unit.

The identified alternatives raised were evaluated with the company through a workshop, and later a cost effectiveness analysis of the proposed actions was carried out in order to find most viable actions in the short, medium and long terms and to meet the company's objectives.

The results of this study demonstrated:
- The most efficient techniques applied by the company in relation to water consumption;
- Possible risks of the current model of water use;
- Alternatives to increase the water sustainability of the evaluated unit.