by Renee Ruby

Created on: December 07, 2008   Last Updated: March 19, 2009

The water crisis today affects the entirety of the global population. About 16 percent of the world's population lacks access to clean water and over 700 million people live in areas where the water crises is at its worst. China suffers from major pollution, and both water availability and quality are considered population restrictions. Every corporate industry relies on water, from the agriculture that feeds us to the technology manufacturers of Silicon Valley. As much as we would like to believe that we have an infinite supply of clean water, it is just not true. The fresh water actually available on Earth amounts to less than one-half percent. The rest is salt water or polar ice.Leading corporations now conduct sustainability practices to cut freshwater use. However, do their intentions demonstrate actual results? Experts from top companies like Coca-Cola, GE, MillerCoors, Nestle Waters, IBM, Cisco and Adobe will be attending the 2008 Water Footprint Conference to share best practices, innovations and ideas in an effort to repair some of the global crisis.

GM says that its environmental principles are specific to reducing waste and pollution and conserving resources. "GM works to minimize the impact of water use on nearby communities, particularly where water is scarce. GM uses water as efficiently as possible and requires that it is treated prior to being discharged." GM's water conservation efforts include water recycling and reuse, meter installation and implementing the water conservation projects that also generate economic payback. In all GM plants, industrial wastewater is treated before being released to treatment plants or other bodies of water, meeting applicable requirements. Where there are no clear release guidelines, GM applies its own minimum requirements defined by the Environmental Performance Criteria.

Ford Motor Company states, "Our water conservation initiatives cover all types of water usage, including that from municipal supply water, groundwater and surface water. From 2000 to 2006, our global manufacturing operations reduced water consumption by 25 percent ... this year, our U.S. plants are on pace to achieve another 10 percent reduction year over year." Ford engineers developed two patent pending tools that have significantly reduced water usage. The Water Estimation Tool is a software program that identifies areas of opportunity and creates plant-wide balance. Paired with WILD (Water Ideas to Lesson Demand) that uses over 190 proven

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