Water & Wastewater Asia November/December 2022

IN CONVERSATION WITH
Water is not the only form of sustainability
LANXESS is committed to. Since 2021, the
company’s sustainability committee has
been deemed the “top decision-making
body”. Since the company’s re-structuring,
it has learnt that clear and specific goals
are the best way to enact sustainability. To
that end, it has implemented three pillars
to ensure climate neutrality: purchasing
sustainable raw materials, ensuring green
logistics, and expanding its range of climate
neutral products with the “Scopeblue” brand
label.
The company has also reportedly halved
their direct emissions, from 6.5 million
tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e)
to 3.2 million tonnes. This was achieved
through minimising emissions from their
production and external energy resources.
LANXESS is now hoping to eliminate their
indirect emissions in the upstream and
downstream value chain by 2050. The
company has also contributed to causes like
the OneMillionTrees movement in Singapore,
planting 50 trees across the Kranji-
Woodlands Nature Way to revive the streets
with lush greenery and reduce greenhouse
gases through carbon sequestration.
WATER COMPANIES, WATER
STEWARDSHIP AND COLLECTIVE
RESPONSIBILITY
Water companies play an important role
in resolving the water crisis in South East
Asia. “With population, pollution, and water
shortages growing unabatedly, collaboration
between the public sector and water
companies must be established to turn
water-scarce cities into high-tech hydro
hubs,” Agnihotri stated.
This schema has already been implemented
in Singapore for decades, through the Public
Utilities Board (PUB)’s role in implementing
and expanding the NEWater water filtration
system, which was used to reclaim
wastewater into clean and usable water
for Singaporeans. The project’s success is
evident from 40% of Singapore’s water supply
stemming from recycled sewage, which is
expected to rise to 55% by 2060. Agnihotri
thus encouraged water companies to work
closely with the public sector and provide
insight into technologies that can expedite the
process.
But this is only one part of the solution.
Agnihotri believes that water companies
should also work with other industries like
the chemical industry to create innovative
solutions for water treatments. He cited the
example of LANXESS’ Lewatit ion exchange
resins, which were used to treat and process
wastewater across various industries.
As he explained: “We have produced ion
exchange resins that can remove undesirable
substances from groundwater to turn it into
drinking water. The principle of ion exchange
has also found a wide variety of applications
in the household. When used in water filter
pitchers, Lewatit products remove water
hardness because many people much prefer
the taste of tea and coffee made with soft
drinking water.”
Development and quality
control of monodisperse
ion exchange resins at
Jhagadia site, India, used
for water treatment
Water sustainability cannot be achieved
through the efforts of water companies alone,
however. Water stewardship on the part of
companies outside the water industry is also
just as important. Agnihotri emphasised that
companies should understand their collective
responsibility “in water usage, catchment
context and shared risk in terms of water
governance”. It is only by understanding
and collaborating with others that share the
same knowledge that meaningful change
can take place.
THE FUTURE OF WATER
SUSTAINABILITY IN SOUTH EAST ASIA
Currently, the two most critical issues facing
the region are securing an adequate water
supply and ensuring water contamination
is addressed at its source. Most water
technologies are currently focused on
recycling wastewater and water recovery.
While these measures are effective, it
is likely not enough to guarantee water
security and sustainability.
One key issue in water security is preventing
and responding to future health crises,
in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and
its effects on water management. Water
services should thus begin considering
sustainability and long-term resilience as
part of their infrastructure.
For instance, Agnihotri suggested the
industry can empower water service
providers with digital innovations that
are increasingly available to manage
uncertainty and enhance the experiences
of service providers and their customers.
Green recovery strategies should also be
implemented, which includes investments
in water and sanitation that will deliver
accelerated economic growth, while also
being sustainable for people and the
planet.
“Water plays a significant role ecologically
and socially beyond its role as an economic
resource. Access to water and sanitary
facilities is a fundamental human right. Its
availability and quality are global challenges
that must be addressed at a local and
regional level. Similarly, we believe that the
sparing use of water is crucial. Scarce water
resources need to be handled consciously
and carefully and viewed as an investment
in the future,” concluded Agnihotri.
WATER & WASTEWATER ASIA | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 23