Certification for water in the offing

A t a time when water intensive industrial units are running into problems with locals, the government is planning to introduce water certification on the lines of ISO certification. The certification will be a measure of the water used and recharged by an industrial unit.

The proposal to have such a standard will not be made mandatory but can be used by a company as a certification for acceptance among its consumers.

Speaking to  Business Standard, Water Resources Secretary VK Duggal said the ministry of water resources was discussing the proposal.

An official said issues like deciding on the certifying agency and what would be the parameters for such certification were being discussed, adding that the proposal was at a preliminary stage.

Officials pointed out the problems faced by a soft drink major in the Pallakad district of Kerala where the local population resisted the use of underground water and alleged that the water table was affected because of the presence of the company's plant.

A zero water industrial unit will be one that recharges ground water table through water harvesting or produces fresh water by treating polluted water in quantities that match water usage. This will result in the net consumption of water becoming zero.

The certifying agency will be working with a company to suggest ways for achieving zero certification.

"The cost to a company for achieving the zero level will not normally be very high compared to the gains it will get in terms of local and consumer acceptability," said an official.

Companies, especially those producing beverages, are already adopting water harvesting programmes as part of their corporate social responsibility.

"Such projects usually serves the purpose for which zero water certification is being sought," said an official.