ISO 46001 water efficiency management consulting

For Your Business

Who this service is for and when to start

When water-using processes, buildings, and service places wish to improve water efficiency, or when water use data cannot explain anomalies, implementation can be considered. Before equipment updates, site expansion, and recycled water planning, it is also suitable to first confirm requirements and baseline data.

It can start with important water use stages, allowing facilities, operations, and procurement to jointly confirm measurement, operation, and investment needs.

The Challenge

Common challenges faced by businesses

Merely looking at water bills makes it difficult to know where leaks are; a decrease in water use may also be due to reduced production. Without distinguishing sources, purposes, and measurement conditions, operational changes may easily be misjudged as efficiency improvement.

Recycled water projects also need to confirm water quality, purpose, and applicable requirements, and cannot assume all water can be directly replaced just by looking at recycle volume.

Our Approach

Methods and applicable requirements

ISO 46001:2019 with Amd 1:2024 sets requirements and guidance for water efficiency management, focusing on organisations that use water. The next edition remains a working draft. The approach covers reducing, replacing and reusing water, linked to monitoring, equipment design, procurement and staff competence.

Water sources and processes

We map water intake, uses, recovery and discharge interfaces, identifying available measurements and key data gaps. A reliable picture of water use helps identify priorities for improvement.

Measurement, baselines, and indicators

Confirm measurement locations, periods, and influencing factors according to the site, and review water use changes. Indicators need to match actual work, such as considering production or number of users, rather than only comparing total volume.

Reduction and reuse actions

Consider practical measures for leaks, equipment operation, alternative water sources and reuse. Competent specialists must assess water quality and engineering matters; management work tracks responsibilities, results and maintenance.

Preparation

What documents do companies need to prepare?

• Source and usage: Water supply method, water usage process, and recycling purposes.
• Measurement and billing: Water meter, usage over the period, and data gaps.
• Equipment and operation: Equipment, operating conditions, and factors affecting water usage.
• Improvements and requirements: Water-saving measures, water quality, or other applicable requirements and records.

For an initial discussion, provide a summary or de-identified sample. Share full records under the agreed scope, access permissions and confidentiality arrangements. Check whether existing records are still valid before filling gaps; there is no assumption that every document must be rewritten.

Project Planning

Estimating time and cost

Costs depend on the sites, connections between water-use processes, measurement coverage and available data. Additional meters, leak detection and water recovery engineering need separate scopes. Allow enough time to compare results.

Each project specifies the number of on-site interviews, document revisions, training sessions, internal-audit support activities and improvement reviews, together with responsibilities. Third-party certification, specialist testing, engineering and legal services are not included in consulting fees by default. Confirm transition schedules for existing certificates with the certification body.