A survey by Deloitte Consulting and the Carbon Disclosure Project found 48 percent of the responding companies said they had experienced problems due to water issues and 58 percent said they anticipated water risks would impact their businesses in the next five years. Water-related problems are costing some of the companies as much as $400 million, according to the report From Water Management to Water Stewardship.
Introducing the report, Deloitte’s Director for Enterprise Water Strategy Will Sarni said, “The increased competition for water and depletion of groundwater aquifers, coupled with the persistent drought in the U.S., have resulted in increased focus on how companies with operations in the U.S. and internationally are impacting this most precious resource.” He said companies are shifting their thinking from a basic awareness of water risk to quantifying the business value of those risks.
The water risk survey, which reflects the responses of 148 Standard and Poor’s 500 companies, includes specific examples of water problems U.S. companies face as well as steps companies are taking to conserve water or to respond to water risks.
The report is available at https://www.cdproject.net/CDPResults/CDP-US-Water-Report-2013.pdf.