Global beverages manufacturer Coca-Cola has replenished more than 80-billion litres of water used in its beverage production worldwide using water-saving initiatives.

The company continues to strive towards reaching its goal of replenishing 100% of production water by 2020.

Coca-Cola Southern Africa environmental and occupational safety and health manager Irene Jacobs tells Engineering News the company set an aspirational goal in 2007 to replenish 100% of the water used in its beverage production by 2020.

“Since then, we have engaged in several projects worldwide to reach that goal and we are still in the process of doing so. By the end of 2012, we were able to replenish 52% of our water used in production worldwide and we are looking forward to reaching 100% by 2020,” she states.

Coca-Cola started to investigate the locations of its plants globally and assessed water vulnerabilities.

This resulted in a company standard on water resource sustainability, which required every plant to conduct a source-vulnerability assessment, which is a risk assessment that identifies, besides others, regulatory and community risks, as well as the risk involving the continuity of supply for business. Following the results of the assessment, each Coca-Cola plant was also required to compile a source-water protection plan.

Some of the water projects undertaken by Coca-Cola are based on the results from risk assessments and the company aims to ensure that communities in the surrounding areas of Coca-Cola’s plants “are not forgotten”.

Jacobs stresses that the company is committed to conserving the watersheds around the communities and its operations so that both may thrive, adding that Coca-Cola is dedicated to providing communities with access to safe drinking water and sanitation, thereby creating awareness regarding water access and safe drinking water.

“We have invested $260-million in projects worldwide and, to date, we were able to reach about two-million people, and the work continues,” she says.

One of the projects includes the Replenish Africa Initiative, or RAIN campaign, which was launched by the Coca-Cola foundation in 2009. This $30-million project aims to provide access to safe drinking water and sanitation for two-million Africans by 2015.

To date, and through the project, Coca-Cola has managed to reach 33 African countries and 800 000 people in about 16 000 communities and the company is confident that it will reach the rest of the continent’s population through its continuous project work.

The company has provided access to clean water for 322 732 people in Southern Africa.
Meanwhile, Coca-Cola entered into a global agreement in September last year with research and development corporation DEKA, as well as other public and private partners to deliver between 1 500 and 2 000 water purification units and Ekocentres to 20 countries worldwide.

Ekocentres are shipping containers that have been specially designed to become a growing hub of community activity. It was initially equipped with water purification units and a commercial space for women entrepreneurs to supply clean, safe water for businesses. It has the potential to provide wireless communication, power and business, training and educational opportunities for communities.

Wastewater Disposal
Coca-Cola also has a set of stringent wastewater disposal standards for its facilities that are not able to discharge water to a functional municipal treatment works with secondary treatment capabilities.

“For those facilities, we insist that any technology or treatment option used must ultimately discharge water back into the environment to support aquatic life. The company has invested more than $1-billion worldwide to avail technology. We are about 98% compliant and have returned 160- billion litres of treated wastewater to the environment,” Jacobs reveals.

Coca-Cola’s efforts to reduce its water use worldwide has been particularly evident at its Southern Africa businesses.

Its Southern Africa business unit has met company targets by reducing its water use by 27% from 2004 to 2013, ultimately increasing its production volume while decreasing the amount of water used to make its beverages.

Jacobs notes that, while some of the water is returned to the environment, some plants use the treated water for landscaping irrigation and for other low-level uses.