ISO 46001: instructions for rational water management

It’s summertime!
And with it, unfortunately, its episodes of drought and water stress.
As is often the case in France, the response is regulatory, or at least it comes from the government.
This is evidenced by the list of the 50 industrial sites that consume the most water, drawn up by the public authorities in March 2024.
Under what is now known as the Water Plan, these plants must reduce their water consumption by at least 10% by 2030.
Alongside regulations, which provide the “why”, there is standardization, which provides the “how”.
When it comes to rational water management, standardization offers a tool of choice: the voluntary ISO 46001 standard .
This international standard is accompanied by the certification of the same name, which attests, following a third-party audit, that the company is in fact engaged in continuous improvement on the subject.
The ISO 46001 standard makes recommendations on monitoring and measurement, documentation, declaration, design and purchasing practices for equipment, systems and processes, as well as on skills and staffing.

ISO 46001 certification: leading by example

The standard helps organizations to assess their water use, and to identify, plan and implement water-saving measures based on three principles: reduction (by using water-saving devices, tracking usage and monitoring losses and leaks), replacement of drinking water (with reused water, rainwater or seawater), and reuse (by recycling process water or grey water).
It’s an approach that has won over optical lens manufacturer Hoya Vision Care France.
The 200-strong company, which operates three sites in France, was keen to gain recognition for its good water management practices, even though it is not on the list of 50 ultra-consumptive sites. We wanted to set an example,” stresses Isa Bouglime, Director of Public Affairs. The Group’s Japanese management closely followed our unprecedented approach. In a highly constrained regulatory environment like France’s, we have demonstrated our capacity for innovation, with tangible results. ” Following an audit by AFNOR Certification, the company was awarded AFAQ ISO 46001 certification. Read the full testimonial! Interested, for example, in standing out in a call for tenders?
You can also call on an AFNOR BAO expert to help you prepare.