
Water is essential to manufacturers – whether used for heating, cooling, washing, rinsing, or any of its several other industrial uses. It is also a resource that can be scarce and costly if not used efficiently. Recognizing this, more manufacturers are expanding planning to include efficient water usage.
There are many challenges to implementing water efficiency measures at a manufacturing facility, such as insufficient ROIs on water efficiency projects and inadequate data available on water use within the facility. However, understanding the true costs of water and assessing water use opportunities can lead to substantial water and energy savings. Starting with basic good housekeeping practices and progressing to more advanced conservation strategies can help to establish a robust water management program and can lower operating costs, increase resiliency, and improve water quality.
Top Water Efficiency Measures
- Optimize cooling tower and boiler system blowdown
- Identify and fix water leaks and overflows
- Consider water efficiency in the design and procurement of new systems
- Review equipment specifications and adjust water use accordingly
- Eliminate once-through uses where possible, such as for cooling or cleaning
Explore the Water Savings Network page for industrial partners to learn how DOE is helping partners to track water use intensity improvements and share successful strategies and solutions. For more detail, review the Better Plants report, "Developing a Corporate Water Management Strategy for Manufacturers", and the WATER CARD INFO. Additional resources specific to Better Plants partners can be found below, including options to connect with the water-efficiency and water-system subject matter experts.

Subject Matter Experts
Mr. Thirumaran is a research staff at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) with a focus on industrial energy and water efficiency, thermal process intensification, industrial emissions reduction, and statistical analysis. Mr. Thirumaran has more than 8 years of professional experience which includes working as a research staff at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, implementing utility rebate programs as an energy engineer for CLEAResult, and as an engineering lead for DOE's Industrial Assessment Center at North Carolina State University. A seasoned researcher with an eye for detail, Mr. Thirumaran is interested in working to develop the next generation of energy-efficient technologies and strategies.
As part of the Manufacturing Energy Efficiency Research and Analysis (MEERA) group, Mr. Thirumaran provides technical support to DOE Advanced Manufacturing Office’s (AMO’s) Better Plants Program. In his role as a Technical Account Manager, he assists partnering manufacturing companies achieve their energy, water, and emissions reduction targets by analyzing their energy consumption, identifying gaps in energy management practices, and supporting the implementation of relevant strategies and projects. You can reach Kiran with water-related questions at thirumarank@ornl.gov.
Paul Lemar has over 30 years of experience in engineering, economic and environmental analysis of energy efficiency technologies and management practices. Since 2009, he has served as Technical Account Manager for over 20 Better Plants partners under DOE's Better Plants Program. As technical advisor, he develops energy intensity metrics, models and analyzes energy performance, and structures ISO 50001 energy management systems. He has also conducted over 25 treasure hunts and energy assessments for industrial facilities in North America and Europe and consults regularly on combined heat and power as well as renewables feasibility and interconnection. He holds Mechanical Engineering and MBA degrees from the University of Maryland. You can reach Paul at lemarpl@ornl.gov.
Dr. Prakash Rao is a Principal Scientific Engineering Associate within the Energy Technologies Area at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, CA. Prakash conducts research and analysis into the potential for reducing the energy consumption and water use impacts of the U.S. manufacturing sector while maintaining its productivity. To this end, he assists in the development of related technical assistance and deployment activities. This includes analysis of manufacturing water use characteristics and conservation strategies, tools (Navigator) and programs (SEP and 50001 Ready) to increase the uptake of ISO 50001 in the U.S., tools to support advanced measurement and verification techniques (EnPI Lite), and analysis of motor system energy consumption and efficiency potential. Dr. Rao received his doctorate in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Rutgers University and his bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.
You can reach Prakash with water-related questions at prao@lbl.gov.