Net water positive: Beyond the numbers
June 24, 2025
Do the numbers in your sustainability reports reflect long term water stewardship?
In recent years, the goal of becoming net water positive has become common amongst corporations seeking to demonstrate environmental leadership. The concept is compelling – a company promises to replenish more water than it consumes across its operations – it is catchy, marketable, and measurable.
Reality is often much more complex, and those numbers may not lead to the systemic changes which we urgently need to manage water responsibly.
Why net water positive?
It shows accountability. Companies calculate their water use, and then fund water projects such as wetland restoration, reforestation, or community rainwater harvesting that return that volume to nature or society.
Why is being net water positive not enough?
Beyond the numbers, quality, timing and location are key factors. Water replenishment, in terms of releasing treated wastewater back into a river or recharging an underground aquifer needs to align with the source being used or impacted.
Considering a watershed in its entirety is essential for responsible water management, because water systems are interconnected and local.
Focus on shared water challenges and invest in context-based solutions
Shared water risks include groundwater depletion, pollution from surface runoff or discharge, and seasonal floods or droughts that threaten supply reliability. Addressing these challenges requires collaborative solutions—such as investing in rainwater harvesting, recharge zones, water reuse and recycling systems, and upstream reforestation to reduce downstream sedimentation.
Naturally, in water scarce locations, it is important to prioritise water efficiency and reuse, aquifer recharge, and consider the option of desalination.
In flood prone areas, storm water capture and drainage improvement become better targeted solutions.
Where there is potential for surface water pollution, water quality improvements should be supported, perhaps through decentralised wastewater treatment and the protection of buffer zones (such as forests, grasses and wetlands) near water bodies.
What else should we consider?
To track progress within the watershed, additional indicators to look out for include the change in groundwater levels and quality, river health indicators, and water supply improvements within the community.
Companies which adopt context-based water targets have their goals tailored to the specific water risks and needs of each basin where they operate. Frameworks like the Alliance for Water Stewardship Standard or the Science-Based Targets for Nature support this more nuanced approach.
Reflect the true cost of water risks as regulatory, reputational and operational risks to help make smarter investments which align sustainability with long-term business value.
Ensuring systemic long-term change
The focus on metrics may sometimes cloud judgement and delay much needed operational changes or investments in sustainable infrastructure. Collaboration is needed for companies and industries who operate within the same community.
Always ask: Are we using water in a way that ensures its availability and quality for future generations, in the places where we operate?
This shift in mindset may lead to the systemic change we need and optimise the investment which must be made for the future.
Real leadership lies in rethinking how water is valued, managed, and protected, and investing in solutions that are locally relevant, socially inclusive, and environmentally resilient.
Looking for solutions to reuse, recycle or treat wastewater?