Kwazulu-Natal-based sustainable water and wastewater solutions company Talbot is partnering with players across industry sectors to help them proactively manage their water risks.
The company engaged with leaders in mining and metals, food and beverages, forestry, pulp and paper, healthcare, FMCGs and cosmetics in February, to highlight the key risks associated with industrial water supply.
Strategic director Helen Hulett opened sessions in Durban and Johannesburg by quoting President Cyril Ramaphosa who recently noted in an open letter that South Africa’s water crisis would make the nation’s electricity problems look small.
“Unless we take drastic measures to conserve water sources and promote efficient use, water insecurity will become the biggest developmental and economic challenge facing this country,” he said.
“As water scarcity and rising costs loom large, industry is starting to sit up and take note,” said Hulett, adding that many players have realised that for the economic sustainability of their businesses, emerging technologies must be embraced.
Major risks, major opportunities
Key risks include increased water supply failures, double digit tariff hikes and reduced investor confidence. Furthermore, communities and not industry would take priority in managing constrained supplies during ‘water shedding’.
Talbot is helping a growing number of users to take control of their water by identifying and implementing suitable technologies that reduce dependence on external water sources and at the same time increase their profitability, secure continued investment and achieve true business sustainably.
A golden era for water
“The good news is that the 2020s will be the golden era for water, with a large number of untapped opportunities,” says Talbot economist Mike Smith adding that this global problem comes at a time when innovation is on the rise and the Fourth Industrial Revolution in full force.
While the digital transformation has been slow in the industrial space, significant opportunity exists in the short-term for readily available and affordable technologies to assist with demand side efficiency improvements, water consumption and demand management.
Potential for green funding
“As industrial water users, the opportunity to get ahead of the pack is ripe. Sound sustainability choices and management practices make businesses all the more attractive to investors,” he says.
Smith adds that some commentators believe green-minded investors should be looking at water and wastewater projects in Africa and, in fact, some have already started.
“At Talbot, we are working with several financiers that already have the appropriate funds for green, water-focused projects. Wastewater from industry is an opportunity and by taking advantage of it, we will be making businesses more robust so that they can navigate the crisis we find ourselves in,” he concludes.
WEBSITE TALBOT HELPS BIG BUSINESS TAKE CONTROL OF ITS WATER
Talbot is partnering with players across industry sectors to help them proactively manage their water risks.
We engaged with leaders in mining and metals, food and beverages, forestry, pulp and paper, healthcare, FMCGs and cosmetics in February, to highlight the key risks associated with industrial water supply.
Strategic director Helen Hulett opened sessions in Durban and Johannesburg by quoting President Cyril Ramaphosa who recently noted in an open letter that South Africa’s water crisis would make the nation’s electricity problems look small.
“Unless we take drastic measures to conserve water sources and promote efficient use, water insecurity will become the biggest developmental and economic challenge facing this country,” he said.
“As water scarcity and rising costs loom large, industry is starting to sit up and take note,” said Hulett, adding that many players have realised that for the economic sustainability of their businesses, emerging technologies must be embraced.
Major risks, major opportunities
Key risks include increased water supply failures, double digit tariff hikes and reduced investor confidence. Furthermore, communities and not industry would take priority in managing constrained supplies during ‘water shedding’.
Talbot is helping a growing number of users to take control of their water by identifying and implementing suitable technologies that reduce dependence on external water sources and at the same time increase their profitability, secure continued investment and achieve true business sustainably.
A golden era for water
“The good news is that the 2020s will be the golden era for water, with a large number of untapped opportunities,” says Talbot economist Mike Smith adding that this global problem comes at a time when innovation is on the rise and the Fourth Industrial Revolution in full force.
While the digital transformation has been slow in the industrial space, significant opportunity exists in the short-term for readily available and affordable technologies to assist with demand side efficiency improvements, water consumption and demand management.
Potential for green funding
“As industrial water users, the opportunity to get ahead of the pack is ripe. Sound sustainability choices and management practices make businesses all the more attractive to investors,” he says.
Smith adds that some commentators believe green-minded investors should be looking at water and wastewater projects in Africa and, in fact, some have already started.
“At Talbot, we are working with several financiers that already have the appropriate funds for green, water-focused projects. Wastewater from industry is an opportunity and by taking advantage of it, we will be making businesses more robust so that they can navigate the crisis we find ourselves in,” he concludes.