THE STANDARD
The SWC Standard for Sustainable Water Practice is the first of its kind and was developed in response to the pressing need for water conservation and improved water management at local, national and global scales. The Standard distinguishes itself through its business and consumer focus and sets a new trend in bringing these interests together with a sustainability agenda.
Developed over several years in consultation with a broad range of experts including sustainability scientists, chartered accountants, legal experts, compliance and risk specialists, and marketing professionals, it is based on four pillars:
ReducING water usage
Re-using water
Recycling water
Water output & management
Our view is that compliance and regulatory mechanisms are not sufficient to drive a sustainability culture and must be augmented by approaches that provide tangible benefits to businesses and the communities in which they operate. The Standard achieves this by creating a strong business case for sustainable practices whilst following a credible outcomes based approach which ensures that members are held accountable for the implementation of improved water practices.
The Standard is underpinned by a strong focus on independence, objectivity and a credible certification process. Assessments against the Standard are conducted by an accredited network of independent assessors that operate across South Africa and have decades of water assessment experience across all sectors. This is followed by separate review and certification by the SWC.
Ease of access to the Standard in terms of complexity and cost is key to driving wide scale change and enhancing the business case. The Standard uses an evaluation approach which is easily understood by business and encourages adoption by businesses of all types and sizes. The Standard readily aligns with current water audit and water management practices, enabling efficient roll-out of the Standard whilst utilising the services of existing water audit and sustainability professionals.
Through accessibility and its strong value proposition the Standard ultimately aims to enhance business’s ability to adapt to change, and transform the water sustainability industry by driving economies of scale and funding the next generation of sustainability professionals.
SWC CONTACT
Postnet V&A Waterfront
Postnet Suite #52
Private Bag X9190
Cape Town
8000
Tel: 081 769 9678 / 081 342 8750
Email: info@sustainablewatercouncil.co.za
USER AGREEMENTS
USEFUL LINKS
www.aguaafrica.co.za
www.waterfootprint.org
www.dwa.gov.za