Water Tight 2.0

Since Deloitte published Water Tight in 2012, governments and businesses have made progress in understanding and appreciating the value of water for economic growth and business use. While the road ahead is long, since the last edition, the number of governments and companies that are now embracing water stewardship practices and focusing on sustainable water management has grown.

Water scarcity, changing demographics and operational efficiency are top issues for the global water sector, which are amplified by the unpredictable impact of climate change. These challenges provide the background to this report.

• Demand for water continues to rise. According to The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), by the middle of the century water demand will increase by 55 percent compared with 2015 levels.
• Declining water quality has also grown to be a global concern. It can directly influence the cost of providing water by utilities, reduce the volume of water available for use, and indirectly affect human health.
• Water loss through leakage is a major issue both in the developed and developing world. 
• The long-term impact of climate change is unpredictable, but many expect it to exacerbate water scarcity, watershed planning and make aging water infrastructure even more vulnerable to extreme weather conditions.

All of the themes discussed in this report are closely connected. For example, it is impossible to talk about operational efficiency without considering the opportunities that data analytics offer in this area. Major themes in the report are: 

• The value of water
• The value of data 
• The power of the customer 
• The need for operational efficiency 
• The potential of technology 
• The future of regulation 
• • The new financing methods