Sustainability Program 2023-2026
Water Management:
Water Management:
Target and performance
In times of climate change, weather extremes like dry periods, floods and heat waves are increasing around the world. At the same time, resources like water and energy are tightening and more and more natural land is being sealed with impermeable surfaces, which on the one hand prevents the natural infiltration of rainwater and thus has a negative impact on water supply and on the other hand leads to flooding, is increasing. All these developments call for urgent action to effectively counter the effects of climate change, such as drought and flooding, and to sustainably use valuable resources and protect the environment.
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Success Factors
Due to climate change, the demand for water management systems that harvest, reuse, and save water is steadily growing. Providing complete solutions, including smart digital steering, optimizes the water use for both our customers and production sites.
To reduce water consumption on our premises, we have established a policy on water for production sites and identified the locations with higher water consumption and areas of high water stress.
Establishing consistent water monitoring for all production sites is one of the key factors for eliminating inefficiencies and reducing water consumption. Sensors provide information on the current quality, volume, and temperature of the water or the condition of filters installed in the plant. Thus, wienerberger can ensure the sparing use of water in own production operations. wienerberger focuses on responsible and careful water management, which includes running water in closed cycles.
Best-Practice Examples
- Stathelle, Norway: Closed-loop system
Using better online monitoring, we improved the efficiency of a closed-loop system.
Using sensors and monitoring has been crucial in this project to find the root cause of our capacity problems. Based on the monitoring and analysis of data, we were able to draw the right conclusions and make the correct measurements to increase the cooling capacity and reduce our overall consumption of community water. - Leonding, Austria: Smart water management
In Leonding, wienerberger collects rainwater in an attenuation block consisting of stormboxes. After treatment, the water is stored and reused or allowed to seep away through another block of stormboxes. Wastewater from wash basins, showers, washing machines, and the like, known as graywater, is cleaned and also used for irrigation or infiltrated into the ground. Together with the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, wienerberger is investigating which solutions make the most sustainable use of rainwater and graywater. - Turkey: Irrigation solutions for agriculture
In Turkey, the biggest consumer of freshwater resources has traditionally been agriculture - approximately 74% of the country's total water consumption. One notable agricultural project focused on potato cultivation by local farmers has achieved significant efficiency gains, delivering at least 25-30% savings in energy and water consumption using advanced drip irrigation.
Challenges and Lessons Learned
Regular maintenance of closed-water cooling systems is needed to maintain their regular capacity.
Monitoring and fixing inefficiencies is important; wise use of water management systems is also essential.
Future Commitment
wienerberger strongly focuses on further developing our smart water management systems for municipalities, utility companies, real estate developers, and the agricultural sector. Technology is applied wherever possible in our operations, acting as a living lab.
In addition to water management systems and smart irrigation, the development and adoption of permeable eco-paving systems are expanding, offering effective solutions for water infiltration and sustainable water management.
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