Water and business are inextricably linked, but when you talk to someone about using water in their business, few will give water much thought. Think about how much wasting of that precious resource happens in business. Avoiding contributing the byproduct of polluted water to the wastewater system should be a common goal.
We take access to water and nearly unlimited supply as a given in the U.S. We over-water our lush green lawns, we too easily dispose of water that could be recycled, and we unthinkingly dribble away the overflowing liquid abundance that many countries would envy.
Blog Action Day is a yearly event focusing bloggers attention on a single cause, voted on by participating bloggers. This year it’s all about Clean Water. there is a strong focus on water resources for those who lack access to clean, healthy drinking water. The White House blog jumped in as the most prominent contributor,eth Lisa P. Jackson discussing the EPA’s role in Clean Drinking Water.
Give some thought to how your business might reduce wastewater, use less water and how to conserve as much as possible. If all businesses reduce water pollution and waste – the water supply will increase and we’ll strain our resources less.
Surprisingly, there is very little about “Water Business” when focusing directly on water as a means of income and investment. But about three weeks ago, the Motley Fool investment website ran a story titled “Water: the Ultimate Liquid Investment” in which they point out that there are funds you can choose and strategies you can use if you want a stake in water assets. But they also mention that last month was “World Water Week” – which got not a peep of news coverage at least none that crossed my awareness.
If you bounce over to WorldWaterWeek.org and take a peek at the event sponsors you could conclude that they see some business value in supporting that cause. We have Siemens, ITT, Nestle, and Fujitsu logos gracing that sponsor page. Follow the money and consider how those businesses relate to your business use of water.
Water focused businesses on a global scale are probably focused on our largest source of water – seawater. Most of the major desalination players are also based in the Middle East. It’s interesting that desalination is akin to being a major utility, since it requires huge capital investment and may not be hugely profitable as yet.
So if it’s not something to do with conservation or investment, how else does water touch your business life? Even if it’s just the office water cooler, consider how that is the centerpiece of being social and connected and elevate the importance of conservation to your staff.