Data is the Key to Unlocking Your Company’s Water Sustainability Practice

I recently had the pleasure of participating in a Water Stewardship panel at an environmental conference in Tucson, Arizona. Along with my esteemed peers and fellow panelists from Meta and A.O. Smith, we outlined the key considerations for water stewardship initiatives and examples of recent success stories. The following is a summary of my presentation. 

As global water risk intensifies, organizations are rethinking how they manage, measure, and protect one of our most essential shared resources. Water stewardship is no longer just an operational issue; it’s a strategic imperative that links sustainability, compliance, and business resilience. The following key factors outline how companies can build a strong, data-driven water stewardship program that delivers real impact.   

 1. Understand Your Water Footprint and Risk Landscape  

Effective stewardship begins with understanding how your organization interacts with water: how much you use, where it comes from, and how it affects local basins. A comprehensive water risk assessment should identify both physical risks (such as scarcity and flooding) and regulatory or reputational risks.   

Tools like the World Resources Institute’s Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas can help visualize these risks globally, combining data on scarcity, pollution, and flood threats. By overlaying facility locations with risk maps, companies can pinpoint where to prioritize water efficiency, reuse, or resilience projects. Scenario analysis can further model how climate change could affect availability through 2030 or 2040.   

2. Build a Strategy Aligned with Global Standards  

Once risks are understood, set measurable goals. These might include reducing consumption, improving discharge quality, or strengthening supplier engagement. Aligning with recognized water footprint standards lends credibility and ensures consistency across regions.   

Equally important is embedding water goals within your broader ESG strategy. Investors, regulators, and customers increasingly expect transparency and accountability around water use, linking it to overall environmental performance and resilience.   

3. Take Action: From Facilities to Watersheds  

The best water strategies combine local action with system-level thinking.   

At the facility level, initiatives might include:   

• Installing metering or smart sensors for real-time tracking.   
• Upgrading cooling or treatment systems.   
• Redesigning processes to promote water recycling or closed-loop systems.   

At the watershed scale, stewardship expands to supporting recharge projects, community infrastructure, or collective water management initiatives. The goal is to create mutual benefit, improving your operational security while strengthening the ecosystems and communities that depend on the same resource.   

4. Collaborate for Greater Impact  

Water doesn’t respect property lines or corporate boundaries. Real progress depends on collaboration among businesses, local communities, governments, and NGOs. Shared basin planning and joint investment in conservation or restoration projects can reduce competition and build collective resilience.   

This is also where transparency matters. Openly communicating goals and performance fosters trust and positions your company as a leader in responsible resource management. 

5. Monitor, Communicate, and Continuously Improve  

Water stewardship is cyclical, not static. Continuous monitoring, reporting, and improvement are key to staying ahead of both emerging regulations and stakeholder expectations.   

Modern data management platforms make this possible by automating compliance tracking, integrating site-level data into corporate dashboards, and producing near real-time analytics. With a unified data system, companies can quickly spot anomalies, track progress against reduction targets, and demonstrate measurable results.    

At Locus Technologies, for example, the Water Metrics App centralizes intake, discharge, and quality data across facilities — linking compliance and sustainability metrics within a single, secure platform. This kind of integrated approach eliminates data silos, reduces manual reporting, and supports smarter, faster decision-making.    

6. Stay Ahead of Evolving Water Regulations  

Water policy worldwide is becoming more stringent and data driven. From the EU Water Framework Directive to the U.S. EPA’s PFAS initiatives, regulatory expectations are shifting from voluntary disclosure to mandatory performance standards.   

In the U.S., for instance, California’s State Water Resources Control Board now requires water suppliers to meet year-round efficiency goals, illustrating a broader move toward continuous conservation mandates. Businesses that anticipate and adapt to these changes early can turn compliance into a competitive advantage.   

7. Embrace Digital Transformation and AI for Water Management  

Digitalization and artificial intelligence are redefining how organizations manage water resources. AI-driven analytics can:   

• Predict equipment failures before they occur.   
• Optimize treatment and distribution systems.   
• Forecast demand, scarcity, or drought conditions.   
• Support automated ESG and water footprint reporting.   

These capabilities enable a shift from reactive management to predictive and prescriptive optimization — improving reliability, efficiency, and sustainability outcomes. Examples include the AI4Water Initiative (World Bank and UNESCO), which uses machine learning to inform adaptive water policies, and the California Department of Water Resources, which applies AI tools for drought management and compliance monitoring.   

The challenge lies not just in adopting new technology but in ensuring data quality, governance, and security. Reliable, high-integrity data is the foundation of trust and effective stewardship.   

8. Lead Through Integration and Transparency  

Ultimately, successful water stewardship connects people, data, and purpose. By unifying water, ESG, and EHS information into one digital ecosystem, organizations can see the full picture, linking compliance with strategy and local action with global goals.   

Platforms like Locus OneView bring all environmental performance data together, enabling teams to turn information into insight and insight into action. As the saying goes, “we can’t manage what we don’t measure”, and with the right data tools and partnerships, we can measure, manage, and lead with impact.   

Closing Thoughts 

Water stewardship isn’t just about conservation; it’s about leadership, innovation, and collaboration. By embracing data-driven strategies, integrating digital tools, and aligning with global standards, companies can safeguard both their operations and the communities they touch. In doing so, they not only meet compliance requirements but set the pace for a more resilient, sustainable water future.