What Indian Facility Managers Must Know About Water Efficiency Before Their Next BRSR Filing

Environmental reporting in India has evolved rapidly over the past few years. Sustainability is no longer viewed as an optional corporate initiative,it has become a measurable business responsibility. For India's top listed companies, the Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR) has transformed how organizations report their environmental and social performance to investors, regulators, and stakeholders.While carbon emissions often receive the most attention, water is becoming one of the most closely examined ESG indicators. India is home to nearly 18% of the world's population but possesses only around 4% of global freshwater resources. According to NITI Aayog, nearly 600 million Indians face high to extreme water stress, while industries continue to experience increasing pressure from regulators, investors, and local communities to demonstrate responsible water stewardship.

For facility managers, sustainability officers, and ESG teams, this means that restroom infrastructure, wastewater treatment systems, and water conservation technologies are no longer simply operational decisions, they directly contribute to ESG performance and BRSR disclosures. Understanding how to measure and report water efficiency today can significantly improve the quality of your next BRSR filing while reducing operational costs across your facilities. As environmental reporting becomes more rigorous in India, facility managers are no longer responsible only for keeping buildings operational, they are becoming key contributors to corporate ESG performance. Under the Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) framework, particularly Principle 6, listed companies are expected to disclose how they manage natural resources, including water consumption, water conservation initiatives, wastewater treatment, and recycling practices. This means every litre of water saved inside a commercial building can contribute to measurable sustainability outcomes. Facility managers therefore need accurate records of water consumption, fixture efficiency, treated water reuse, and infrastructure upgrades to support reliable BRSR disclosures and demonstrate continuous improvement.

Water efficiency is increasingly shifting from being a maintenance initiative to a strategic business metric. Measures such as installing water-efficient fixtures, adopting waterless urinals, reusing treated wastewater from STPs, repairing leakages, and monitoring consumption through regular audits generate verifiable data that strengthens ESG reporting. These initiatives not only reduce operational costs and dependence on freshwater but also provide measurable evidence of responsible resource management during BRSR reporting. As investors, regulators, and customers place greater emphasis on sustainability performance, facility managers who build robust water-efficiency systems today will help their organizations stay compliant, improve ESG ratings, and prepare for increasingly stringent reporting requirements in the years ahead.

Why Water Reporting Matters More Than Ever

Investors increasingly evaluate companies on environmental performance alongside financial performance. Water scarcity has become a material business risk affecting manufacturing, commercial buildings, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, airports, and corporate campuses alike. Water shortages can disrupt operations, increase dependence on water tankers, raise utility costs, and create compliance challenges. As climate change intensifies unpredictable rainfall patterns across India, businesses are expected to show that they are managing water responsibly rather than simply consuming it. This is precisely why water management occupies an important place within BRSR disclosures.Companies that can demonstrate measurable reductions in freshwater consumption, increased recycling, efficient fixtures, and wastewater reuse present stronger sustainability credentials to investors and rating agencies.

Water reporting has become a strategic priority as businesses face growing pressure from regulators, investors, customers, and stakeholders to demonstrate responsible resource management. With freshwater availability declining, urban demand rising, and climate change increasing water-related risks, companies are expected to measure, monitor, and disclose how efficiently they use, conserve, recycle, and replenish water. Under India's BRSR framework, transparent water reporting is no longer just a compliance exercise, it is a reflection of an organization's ESG maturity, operational resilience, and long-term sustainability strategy. Accurate reporting helps identify inefficiencies, reduce operational costs, improve resource planning, strengthen investor confidence, and showcase measurable environmental impact, making water data as important as financial and energy performance for modern businesses.

Understanding BRSR Principle 6

Among the nine National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct (NGRBC), Principle 6 focuses on protecting and restoring the environment. For facilities and infrastructure teams, Principle 6 extends beyond environmental policy statements. BRSR Principle 6 focuses on encouraging businesses to respect, protect, and make efforts to restore the environment throughout their operations. For facility managers and sustainability teams, this principle extends beyond environmental policies, it requires measurable action on resource efficiency, including water conservation, energy management, waste reduction, emissions control, biodiversity protection, and responsible use of natural resources. Companies are expected to identify their environmental impacts, implement improvement initiatives, and maintain reliable data that demonstrates progress over time. Water consumption, wastewater generation, recycling rates, and conservation measures are all important indicators that contribute to Principle 6 disclosures.

For commercial buildings and industrial facilities, Principle 6 highlights the importance of integrating water efficiency into everyday operations rather than treating it as a one-time sustainability project. Initiatives such as reducing freshwater consumption, installing water-efficient fixtures, reusing treated wastewater through STPs, preventing leakages, harvesting rainwater, and adopting technologies like waterless urinals can generate measurable outcomes that support BRSR reporting. By tracking these improvements consistently, facility managers not only strengthen compliance but also help organizations reduce operating costs, improve ESG performance, enhance resilience against water scarcity, and demonstrate a genuine commitment to sustainable resource management.Rather than asking organizations whether they care about water conservation, BRSR increasingly asks them to demonstrate it with verifiable data. That makes accurate facility-level water measurement extremely valuable. It encourages companies to disclose measurable environmental performance indicators including:

• Total water withdrawal

• Sources of water

• Water consumption

• Water recycled and reused

• Water intensity

• Wastewater generation

• Wastewater treatment

• Water conservation initiatives

• Resource efficiency improvements

The Role of Facility Managers in ESG Reporting

Many organizations assume ESG reporting is handled solely by sustainability departments. In reality, much of the data originates from facility management teams. Every water meter reading, maintenance record, sewage treatment report, plumbing upgrade, and utility bill contributes toward annual sustainability disclosures.Facility managers therefore become one of the most important sources of credible environmental data. Facility managers have become one of the most important contributors to an organization's ESG reporting because they oversee the day-to-day operations that directly influence environmental performance. From monitoring water and energy consumption to managing wastewater treatment, waste segregation, indoor environmental quality, and building maintenance, the data they collect forms the foundation of sustainability disclosures such as BRSR.

Accurate tracking of water usage, leak detection, equipment efficiency, and conservation initiatives ensures that ESG reports are supported by credible, measurable information rather than estimates. As reporting requirements become more detailed, facility managers play a critical role in maintaining data integrity and demonstrating continuous environmental improvement.Beyond compliance, facility managers are also responsible for identifying and implementing practical solutions that improve a building's sustainability performance. Upgrading to water-efficient infrastructure, reusing treated wastewater, optimizing sewage treatment plants, reducing waste generation, and adopting resource-efficient technologies can significantly lower operational costs while improving ESG metrics. Every operational improvement creates measurable outcomes that contribute to stronger BRSR disclosures, higher sustainability ratings, and greater stakeholder confidence. In today's business environment, facility managers are no longer just responsible for maintaining facilities, they are key drivers of environmental performance and long-term business resilience. Typical information requested during BRSR preparation includes:

• Monthly freshwater consumption

• Groundwater usage

• Municipal water purchase

• Treated wastewater generated

• Water reused for flushing

• Water reused for landscaping

• Leak reduction initiatives

• Water-efficient fixtures installed

• Water-saving projects completed

• Annual water reduction achieved

What Water Data Should You Collect?

One of the biggest challenges companies face is not reporting, but collecting consistent, auditable information.An effective facility water audit should begin with understanding where water enters the building, where it is consumed, and where it leaves the facility.Important datasets include total incoming freshwater, monthly consumption by building or block, restroom water usage, cooling tower consumption, irrigation demand, wastewater generation, treated water production, recycled water utilization, and water losses due to leakage. In addition to quantitative data, organizations should document every water efficiency initiative undertaken during the reporting year. These projects often demonstrate continuous improvement, a key expectation within ESG frameworks. Maintaining this information monthly rather than annually improves both reporting accuracy and operational decision-making.

Measuring Restroom Water Savings

Restrooms remain one of the largest water-consuming spaces inside commercial buildings.Conventional flushing fixtures consume thousands of litres every month, especially in high-footfall environments such as airports, malls, factories, hospitals, railway stations, educational institutions, and corporate offices. Unfortunately, many organizations monitor only their total building water consumption, making it difficult to understand where savings are actually occurring.Instead, facility managers should estimate restroom demand by recording fixture counts, average daily usage, flush volumes, occupancy levels, and maintenance records.

Comparing these values before and after water-efficient upgrades creates measurable savings that can support BRSR disclosures. For example, replacing conventional urinals with waterless alternatives eliminates flushing water entirely. The resulting reduction can be quantified annually using average daily usage multiplied by the previous flush volume.Because these calculations rely on measurable assumptions and operational records, they become valuable evidence during ESG reporting.

How Waterless Urinals Generate Verifiable ESG Metrics

Waterless urinals represent one of the simplest infrastructure upgrades capable of producing measurable water savings.Unlike conventional urinals that require multiple litres of potable water for every flush, waterless systems operate without continuous water consumption while preventing odour through mechanical sealing technology.

The sustainability benefits extend beyond water conservation. Each of these metrics can be documented and included within internal ESG dashboards. When multiplied across multiple facilities or campuses, these savings become significant enough to positively influence company-wide environmental performance indicators. Organizations can measure:

• Annual freshwater saved

• Reduction in flushing water demand

• Lower wastewater generation

• Reduced load on sewage treatment plants

• Lower pumping energy

• Reduced plumbing maintenance

• Operational cost savings

STP Reuse Creates Strong Water Circularity Metrics

Water conservation does not end once wastewater leaves a restroom. Modern sewage treatment plants enable organizations to recover treated wastewater for non-potable applications such as flushing, cooling towers, gardening, and landscaping.This creates a circular water management system where freshwater demand is significantly reduced. Companies that maximize wastewater reuse often demonstrate stronger environmental stewardship because they reduce pressure on local freshwater resources while improving operational resilience. From a BRSR perspective, wastewater reuse supports several measurable indicators:

• Total treated wastewater generated

• Volume of water reused

• Percentage of wastewater recycled

• Freshwater offset achieved

• Reduction in municipal water dependency

• Lower groundwater extraction

Sensor Taps Improve Measurement Accuracy

Although individual taps may appear insignificant, thousands of unnecessary litres are often lost through excessive flow rates and user behaviour.Sensor-based taps help reduce avoidable consumption by automatically controlling water flow. From an ESG reporting perspective, they also improve consistency. Organizations can compare historical water consumption with post-installation performance, estimate reductions based on occupancy, and identify abnormal increases caused by leaks or maintenance issues.Combined with smart water meters, sensor taps provide continuous performance data that strengthens annual sustainability reporting.

Turning Infrastructure Into ESG Performance

Many companies view facility upgrades purely as maintenance expenditures.However, today's sustainability landscape requires organizations to evaluate infrastructure through an ESG lens. Projects such as water-efficient fixtures, leak detection, wastewater recycling, rainwater harvesting, smart metering, and efficient plumbing networks all generate measurable environmental outcomes. Rather than describing these initiatives qualitatively, BRSR encourages organizations to present quantitative improvements. These numbers provide investors with evidence that sustainability investments are creating measurable business value.Examples include:

• Percentage reduction in freshwater consumption

• Water intensity improvements

• Annual litres saved

• Recycled water percentage

• Reduction in wastewater discharge

• Utility cost savings

• Improvement in water efficiency across facilities

  

Building a Facility Water Audit for BRSR

Preparing for BRSR becomes much easier when facilities conduct structured water audits throughout the year instead of collecting information only during reporting season.A comprehensive facility water audit should evaluate incoming water sources, consumption by operational area, restroom usage, leak losses, wastewater treatment performance, recycled water utilization, plumbing efficiency, fixture performance, and conservation opportunities. Historical comparisons also help identify year-on-year improvements, making sustainability reporting more credible. Many organizations now review these metrics monthly through ESG dashboards rather than waiting until year-end. This approach improves operational efficiency while ensuring audit-ready documentation whenever required.

A Practical Checklist Before Your Next BRSR Filing

Before finalizing your next sustainability report, confirm that your facility has documented:

✔ Total annual freshwater withdrawal from all sources.

✔ Monthly building-wise water consumption records.

✔ Water intensity data where applicable.

✔ Quantity of treated wastewater generated.

✔ Percentage of wastewater reused.

✔ Restroom water consumption estimates.

✔ Water-efficient fixtures installed during the reporting year.

✔ Annual water savings achieved through conservation projects.

✔ Maintenance records supporting efficiency improvements.

✔ Water conservation targets and year-on-year progress.

✔ Internal water audit reports.

✔ Utility bills and metering records for verification.

Maintaining these records throughout the year simplifies reporting, strengthens audit readiness, and provides greater confidence in the accuracy of your ESG disclosures.

How Ekam Eco Solutions Supports Better BRSR Water Reporting

Achieving meaningful water conservation requires more than efficient fixtures, it requires measurable outcomes. Ekam Eco Solutions helps organizations reduce potable water consumption through integrated solutions such as Zerodor waterless urinals, advanced sewage treatment systems, and water-efficient sanitation technologies that generate quantifiable operational data. By lowering freshwater demand, reducing wastewater generation, increasing water reuse, and improving overall facility efficiency, these solutions help organizations build stronger evidence for ESG reporting while reducing long-term operating costs. The measurable savings produced through these upgrades can support internal sustainability dashboards, facility water audits, and BRSR documentation with credible performance metrics. As investors, regulators, and customers continue to expect greater transparency around environmental performance, organizations that measure water efficiency proactively will be better positioned to demonstrate leadership in sustainable facility management.