Conserving water

With the renewal of its WWF partnership in 2009, Lafarge integrated water in its 5 main commitments. The aim was to develop a better understanding of its water consumption to better reduce it.

Through the partnership, Lafarge:

• maps sites located in areas of water scarcity and measures their water footprint,
• reduces its water consumption,
• preserves fragile wetlands,
• recycles water by collecting washing and cooling water.

 
In 2010, water recycling systems are already installed at:

• 83% of cement sites;
  
• 72% of concrete and aggregates sites;
  
• 69% of gypsum sites.

 
In 2009, pilot projects have been set in all 4 businesses in order to assess their water footprint:

• in Medgidia in Romania for Cement;
• in Almenara in Spain and Gravel in Morroco for Aggregates;
• in 3 concrete-batching plants near Cairo in Egypt;
• in Bristol in the UK for Gypsum.

4 of them have identified practices to reduce their water consumption, such as rain water collection, washing without water and condensing steam in stacks. The remaining 3 plants will complete studies to imagine similar solutions in 2011. New pilot sites were launched in 2010.

In 2010, Lafarge used the methodology from the Water Footprint Network to assess the impact of its sites' activities on water resources.

The Group also used the Global Water Tool (GWT), developed by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). With this tool, Lafarge mapped the location of all cement and plasterboard sites. Water consumption reduction initiatives will be announced in 2011 at sites located in extreme scarcity areas.