Water powers communities, economies and industries. Yet the supply of this vital resource is under increasing strain.

• By 2030, global demand for water is expected to exceed supply by 56%, according to the World Resources Institute.

The challenge: All industries, including chemical manufacturing, depend on water. To avoid disruption and enable growth, companies must embrace a "do more with less" strategy.

• That requires visibility into water usage and data to make smarter decisions.

How it's done: "When I think about the water crisis, I also think about the ability to use digital and advanced technologies and sensors to really support the predictive analytics that we need to really address the water crisis," said Emilio Tenuta, senior vice president and chief sustainability officer at Ecolab.

At Ecolab, this has been core to its water business for more than two decades, enabled through technology like:

• Water Track IQ™, which helps manufacturers see how water is used across facilities.
• 3D TRASAR™ Technology, which delivers real-time monitoring.

With 30,000 connected devices across thousands of customer sites worldwide, these and other tools help Ecolab turn raw data into actionable insights.

• "Think of it as an MRI for water systems — so we can diagnose the challenges and opportunities that we see within a business," said Tenuta.

What you're missing: Water is a hyper-localized issue. No two watersheds are the same, so there's no one-size-fits-all solution.

• "It's incumbent on us to really develop localized solutions because we know when we work together, we can deliver more impact not only to our business, but also to the community that we serve," said Tenuta.

The strategy: Responsible Care®, an initiative practiced by Ecolab and all ACC member companies, is an important part of achieving those goals.

• "Responsible Care® is really the chemical industry's approach to promoting continuous improvement around environment, health and safety," said Tenuta.

Tenuta's experience early in life has influenced how he views responsible water use today. He saw how the irrigation system on his grandfather's farm could determine whether food reached the family's table.

• "I think it instilled in me the importance of nature, but also the importance of water stewardship," said Tenuta.

For Ecolab, advancing water stewardship means:

• Improving water use within operations.
• Understanding impacts beyond facility fences.
• Partnering with stakeholders, industries and communities to manage shared resources.

The outlook: "1 in 10 people in the world lack access to clean, available water," said Tenuta. "We have a huge opportunity here to really manage this critical resource, not only to enable our businesses to really drive performance, but also to enable communities to thrive."

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