EWP INTERVIEW WITH ANGELES BLANCO

Industry has been identified as one of the most important uses of water in terms of total water abstractions. What are the general measures taken by industry to make their water use more sustainable? From your perspective as a researcher, do you think that these measures are appropriate to have a long-term success?

Industrial practices vary from case to case depending on the driving forces behind of making their water use more sustainable. The general measures go from water saving and conservation to water reuse, water recycling and water reclamation. The application of these measurements and by using advance technologies for water treatment and water reclamation it is possible to move towards zero liquid effluents without affecting the processes neither the products. Therefore, technically these measures are appropriate to have a long-term success although their economical viability is not always clear and it still limits, in many cases, the application of advance technologies. The key is to find the right balance for each case; I mean an optimum water use, considering water amount and quality, at a reasonable cost and without affecting the productivity of the company.

On the other hand, as far as we close the water circuits new problems appear and research is necessary to overcome the potential new technical bottlenecks.
To have a long term success we need pressure on one hand to make companies to really adopt the available technologies and an integrated approach, on the other, considering for example the energy consumption and the generation of sludge or the alternative water sources available in the surroundings.

What is the added value for industry in general and for HOLMEN PAPER in particular to participate in the EWP Water Stewardship Program? And, from your point of view, which are the concrete benefits for the River Basin?

The main added value should be to really achieve a sustainable water management but if that is not the case the image of the company could be the driving factor. The benefits for the River basin are a minimum enviromental impact.

HOLMEN PAPER is one of the first three pilot organizations which has successfully tested the implementation of the EWP Water Stewardship Standard on-site. What are the main outcomes and lessons learnt from this first performance?

One lesson is that even if we are doing it well, we can always do it better!
Technically it has been difficult to quantify the impact of the different measurements and to show objectively that the company has a sustainable water use.

The Water Stewardship Program has accomplished 2/3 of its program phases. Which developments do you assume here, also with regard to the program’s aim of offering competitive advantages to responsible water managers?

An objective tool to quantify and compare the sustainable water use of different companies is still a challenge. 

From your point of view, what is Europe’s biggest challenge when it comes to water?

One of the biggest challenges is to make compatible the human right to clean drinking water and proper sanitation with the water pricing policy to allow the water sector to maintain its competitiveness and its innovation capacity for developing new technologies for the preservation of the environment.
To control the extreme events is also an important challenge.