Guarding the Lifeline: Understanding the Importance of Source Water Vulnerability Assessment

Water availability and water quality are declining globally. The WRI now estimates that by 2030, there will be a 56% gap between water demand and availability. In the meantime, 80% of the world’s wastewater is returned to the environment untreated (UNEP, 2016). 

Furthermore, climate change is intensifying the water cycle – more intense rainfall and associated flooding, as well as more intense drought (IPCC, 2021) are causing certain locations to have too much water, not enough water, or both at different times of the year. Finally, the CDP has estimated that the cost of inaction on water risks is up to five times the cost of action. Our clients are aware of these challenges, and understand that the global water crisis directly translates to business risks.

In order to understand and mitigate water risks in critical operations, we recommend that our clients perform Source Water Vulnerability Assessments (SVAs) at facilities where water is essential to business continuity. Securing access to water resources of sufficient quantity and quality is critical to operations where water is a primary ingredient, and has been historically prioritized by food & beverage producers for that reason. However, it is important to remember that active, working water systems are integral to most operations – whether for employee needs, cleaning, climate control, or as part of the production process.

What is a Source Water Vulnerability Assessment (SVA)?

An SVA is a study that assesses environmental, reputational, and regulatory risks of water source for processes. Antea Group’s Source Water Vulnerability Assessment (SVA) service offers clients a comprehensive view that focuses on the impacts and dependencies of a specific watershed. The report:

• Describes the vulnerabilities related to the reliability, quality, transmission, treatment and distribution of water;
• Evaluates the stakeholders represented in the watershed, the regulatory and water management watch points, and the risks posed to the surrounding community that is dependent on that source water; and
• Presents mitigation strategies to support the advancement of water stewardship within the watershed.

Global Map of where Antea Group has performed SVA's, updated January 2023

Through the SVA, we aim to ensure that the water source is managed to protect the quality of the product and ensure the sustainability and continuity of the water supply for facility operations. The SVA also considers whether the water quality and quantity are sufficient to support both the current and future operations.

How SVA fits into the AWS Standard 

Antea Group has aligned our SVA approach to Step 1 of the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard, “Gather and Understand”, which focuses on collecting reliable data on shared water challenges in the catchments in which the company operates. The AWS Standard is a globally applicable, voluntary sustainability standard that takes users through a process to identify and understand site and catchment water risks, and then act. 

The AWS Standard was developed through a four-year global, multi-stakeholder consultation seeking a framework that could be implemented by any site, in any sector, in any catchment around the world. As an ISEAL Community Member, the Alliance for Water Stewardship is working to continually improve its system, and is the only framework focused on water that is fully ISEAL Code Compliant. The Standard guides water users to work collaboratively and transparently towards sustainable water management within a catchment context, and is intended to drive social, environmental, and economic benefits at the scale of a catchment.

Inogen Alliance recently sponsored the AWS Forum which brings together global experts for presentations and discussion on water stewardship.

It is our responsibility to help our clients approach water risks strategically, starting with risk assessments, and help them identify and mitigate those risks, both to safeguard their business continuity and the communities that they operate in. 

“Water is the ultimate shared resource and we can only manage it sustainably if all water users in a river basin work together” – WWF

Learn more about our global water stewardship services here.

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