Measuring water stress exposure
Raising awareness of water risks
Wastewater treatment plants
Africa Middle East Region
2010
2000
WWTP planned
Under construction
Present
Not yet planned
In 2010 the effluent organic load discharged to
surface water was 17.4 ktonnes, a slight increase
compared to 2009 when it was 17.3 ktonnes. This
is mainly caused due to increased production in
our sites as Karlovac (Croatia), Gisenyi (Rwanda),
Aba (Nigeria) and Ijebu Ode (Nigeria). Since these
sites do not have proper wastewater treatment
facilities, the increase in production has a direct
impact on the discharges to surface water.
However, several sites were able to greatly
decrease their organic load discharge. The brewery
in Vialonga, Portugal, improved its performance
with a newly updated wastewater treatment
facility, while the brewery in Lagos, Nigeria,
improved the efficiency of its wastewater
treatment facility.
Heineken Supply Chain has measured the exposure
of brewery sites to water stress in order to be able
to respond to water-related risks. Using the Global
Water Tool of the World Business Council for
Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the brewery
sites are ranked on water stress exposure. This
tool uses several indicators that analyse water
scarcity. These are the Total Renewable Water
Resources per person (Food and Agriculture
Organisation, FAO), the Annual Renewable Water
Supply per person (World Resources Institute,
WRI), the Water Stress Index (University of New
Hampshire, UNH) and Environmental, Physical
and Economic Water Scarcity (International Water
Management Institute, IWMI). The water intensity
of the breweries is calculated to track the water
usage of breweries in water scarce areas. These
results reflect our increased focus on this critical
area and are a first step to identify breweries that
should operate in a water neutral way.
The results of a survey addressing the
performance of Operating Companies on water-
related risks in the beer supply chain demonstrate
that the majority of Operating Companies
systematically track and monitor water availability
at local operations level. In the majority of our
facilities, a local Source Water Protection Plan
is in place. Operating Companies are also alert
to potential changes in price structure and
regulatory changes.
There is clearly room to improve the way we
monitor and mitigate conflicts between users
relating to water resources, although we
are already actively collaborating with key
stakeholders in the river basins in which we
operate. We can also improve the awareness
of water-related risks of our suppliers as well as
the level and type of collaboration with suppliers
to help address this. In the coming year
we will improve in these areas.
Operating Companies
Performance indicator6actively engaged
Tracking and monitoring water quantity and quality64%
Managing risks related to changes in regulations and pricing structure60%
Monitoring and mitigating stakeholder conflicts on water resources57%
Awareness of suppliers' exposure to water-related risks 28%
Collaboration with suppliers in the held of water risk management 19%
6 Results are only from Operating Companies with breweries.
