Environment
WATER
In 2009, Woolworths used an estimated 1.94 GL in all supermarkets. Compared with the amount used in the same number of stores in 2007, we have reduced our water usage by 172 million litres. This was achieved through our Water Wise Project which saw the installation of flow restrictors in taps and water-saving ultra rinse guns at 812 supermarkets and BIG W stores throughout Australia. Completed in June 2008, Water Wise is being extended to other divisions and is expected to deliver further water savings.
Australians use on average 722,000 litres of water per person per year, enough to fill three-quarters of an Olympic size swimming pool. This figure includes the water used to produce our food and the goods we buy.
Water continues to be one of our most precious resources and its sustainable supply to homes, communities, farmers, businesses and industry is an ongoing challenge for which we all need to help find solutions.
Why is this material to our business?
Food production accounts for 45.9% of average water use in Australia. As a retailer of fresh fruit, vegetables and meat we rely upon the sustainability and productivity of our farming communities, so they, and Woolworths, have a responsibility to use water wisely. Using water efficiently can obviously also deliver business cost savings.
All water supplied to and discharged from Woolworths stores and sites is managed by licensed water authorities. We draw no water directly from bores, rivers, or other natural sources. We do not treat wastewater for reuse or recycling on site.
We only have metered water data for 20% of our supermarkets. The remainder are located in shopping centres and billed for water usage through their lease outgoings. We have estimated our total water use based on our metering data.
What is our commitment?
In our Sustainability Strategy 2007-2015 we committed to:
- Developing a more complete baseline of water usage
- Rolling out the Water Wise project nationally for all our supermarkets
- Reducing water use by at least 200 million litres a year by 2010.
How are we performing?
In 2009, Woolworths used an estimated 1.94 GL in all supermarkets. Compared with the amount used in the same number of stores in 2007, we have reduced our water usage by 172 million litres. This was achieved through our Water Wise Project which saw the installation of flow restrictors in taps and water-saving ultra rinse guns at 812 supermarkets and BIG W stores throughout Australia. Completed in June 2008, Water Wise is being extended to other divisions and is expected to deliver further water savings.
Five of our 14 Distribution Centres harvest rainwater. The largest rainwater harvesting system commissioned in November 2008 with a capacity of 924 kilolitres is located at our Sydney regional Distribution Centre in Minchinbury. In just over seven months of operation, 6.5 million litres of rainwater has been captured and reused for cooling towers.
The rainwater tanks were complemented by the installation of smart water meters in key areas of water use - including the cooling towers and rainwater tanks - to allow online trending of water use at the site. Having up-to-date, accurate information on water use allows us to monitor improvements from water reduction initiatives or to identify more opportunities to reduce water use.
The next large scale rainwater harvesting is planned for our Wyong Distribution Centre. The capacity of this project will be one million litres. It has received funding from the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water. In addition, through engagement with the Rural Fire Service in Wyong, the tanks and system are being designed to provide access to a fill-up point so the Fire Brigade/RFS will be able fill appliances and water tankers in fire emergencies.