Water consumption

A fragile and limited natural resource, water must be preserved and used efficiently.

The water consumed primarily comes from three sources: rivers, water drawn directly from available water tables, and water distributed over local networks. More than 60% of water consumed is used solely for cooling purposes so that the water’s characteristics are not altered.

Several action programs have been established to reduce consumption (closed circuits, pilot projects). For example, at the pharmaceutical plant in Alcobendas, Spain, a program was introduced to routinely determine the strictly minimal quantities necessary and to recycle in accordance with quality standards. In five years, this has made it possible to reduce water consumption by five fold.