Industries operating throughout the Indian subcontinent are focused on financial strategies to win in the marketplace. While most of them spend a great deal of time and money planning and preparing for economic stability, they also need to consider important issues such as sustainability and business continuity.

But there’s another challenge all industries must acknowledge which involves something that has been taken for granted in our business and personal lives: water. While water shortage is a common issue for the agriculture sector in India, and many people in other parts of the world, it was not typically considered to be a threat to businesses. But the most recent case of this problem, the 2019 Chennai Water Crisis has shattered this perception.

This crisis has created serious issues that many industries have not seen before. After two years of inadequate rainfall from monsoons, which supply water to the region’s four main reservoirs, there is very little water for residents of the city. The amount of available water dropped so severely that private water suppliers could not provide enough water for companies – even those that could afford higher prices.

Most industries in the city’s diversified economy were affected by this crisis, which caused disruptions in production schedules, higher operation costs and a reluctance to invest in expansion because of the uncertainty about future water supplies. Some industries even decided to close offices because of the water shortage, a scenario they had never before into our business continuity management (BCM) planning.

With no solution in sight, BCM teams rushed to devise mitigation strategies like how to develop and implement water-management and reuse strategies – such as rainwater collection and treatment to reduce wastewater in facilities. But one question is increasingly being asked about the ubiquitous cooling towers sitting atop just about every facility and commercial building.

HVAC systems function in a critical role in many industries. Chillers and cooling towers typically consume the largest percentage of electricity and water in commercial buildings. Whether concerns about energy efficiency, building sustainability, operations and maintenance, or indoor air quality (IAQ), more visibility is required. A more realistic examination of cooling tower greenness will contemplate improved sustainability, greater energy efficiency, added water conservation and smaller carbon footprint – plus some cost ramifications involved in achieving business goals.

However, the good news is that the HVAC industry has come a long way, and the recent breakthroughs in renewable energy and smart technology like SBR are making these systems more sustainable than ever before. It is a fully automated and green technology that continuously cleans the cooling tower water and augments the cooling performance and treats cooling water without any chemicals. It helps you get rid of Biofouling, scaling, and corrosion that reduces the efficiency of your cooling system without any chemical feeds or discharge, which means 100% savings on chemicals, 20% – 40% decrease in water usage and 10% – 50% reduction in labour costs.

The availability of clean water moves beyond any industry need; it is a requirement for survival that will determine whether our coming generations can enjoy a sustainable future. Therefore, we need to raise awareness in industries about the importance of water management and reusable strategies in their facilities. With that approach in mind, the ultimate in cooling tower sustainability is a model that can outlast the building it services.