Across the globe, water has become the defining challenge of our century. Climate instability, recurrent droughts, and unsustainable extraction have pushed ecosystems and industries to the edge, demanding urgent and visionary responses. Few sectors feel this pressure as acutely as manufacturing, where water is both a critical input and a growing risk factor. In Brazil, projections indicate that by 2030 national water demand could surpass available supply by more than 30%, positioning the country at the epicenter of a mounting crisis. Within this context, an industrial complex in Resende (State of Rio de Janeiro) has been transformed into a testing ground for innovation and resilience.
This water reuse project is based on a clear diagnosis: thousands of cubic meters of treated effluent are lost every month through discharges instead of being regenerated into a usable resource. The intervention seeks to reverse this logic by installing a high-efficiency tertiary treatment system capable of producing 6,715 m³ of regenerated water per month, equivalent to the monthly consumption of more than 1,000 Brazilian households. The outcome is substantial: a 20% reduction in freshwater withdrawals from the Paraíba do Sul River, a strategic basin that supplies over 14 million people. Its purpose is both strategic and ethical: to relieve pressure on a shared resource and guarantee operational resilience in the face of climatic variability. This step transforms an environmental liability into a productive asset, integrating efficiency, innovation, and reputation.
The project is led by the industrial complex itself as developer and operator, supported by technology providers specialized in filtration and advanced disinfection, and backed by external verifiers who ensure traceability under the VWBA 2.0 methodology. Aligned with the Water Positive strategy, it complies with the principles of intentionality, additionality, and traceability, setting the foundation for replication across the automotive sector and beyond.
The core problem is structural: using freshwater in industrial processes without recovery mechanisms leads to efficiency losses, higher costs, and stress on fragile ecosystems. In Resende, this situation is worsened by near-total dependence on the Paraíba do Sul River, which faces overextraction, diffuse pollution, and recurring droughts. The historic absence of reuse infrastructure and an increasingly demanding regulatory framework define the urgency to act.
The opportunity lies in applying mature, reliable technologies: multimedia filtration, ultrafiltration, and UV disinfection, integrated with IoT sensors and online monitoring. The system transforms effluents into safe water for industrial uses, with a capacity exceeding 80,000 m³ per year. The impact is immediate in three areas: reduced freshwater intake, decreased pollutant discharges, and lower operating costs. In the short term, the benefits are tangible and measurable; in the medium term, the solution enables expansion to new internal applications; and in the long term, it consolidates a pioneering model on the path toward a regenerative, Water Positive automotive industry.
The benefits are clear: proactive regulatory compliance, enhanced social legitimacy, reduced water footprint, and stronger ESG indicators. The model is replicable in any high-consumption industrial plant, particularly in sectors such as food, beverages, or textiles. Its replicability stems from the use of proven technologies, alignment with international standards, and its capacity to generate verifiable traceability. Acting now not only mitigates risks to production continuity but also addresses structural causes of water stress and regulatory demands, becoming a visible competitive advantage in a market where consumers and investors increasingly value sustainable water management.
The project relies on the implementation of a tertiary reuse system designed to turn treated effluent into a reliable and safe resource. This system integrates multimedia filtration, ultrafiltration, and ultraviolet disinfection, reinforced with continuous digital monitoring to control critical parameters of flow and quality. With a nominal capacity of 6,715 m³ per month and efficiency above 90%, the selected technology ensures operational stability and consistent water quality. Alternatives such as purchasing recycled water from third parties or relying solely on secondary treatment discharges were evaluated and discarded due to higher cost, lower efficiency, and lack of traceability. The chosen solution, instead, combines physical and digital processes that maximize recovery and ensure transparency under the principles of intentionality, additionality, and traceability of the Water Positive approach.
The benefits are significant and multidimensional. Quantitatively, the project will recover more than 80,000 m³ of water per year, equivalent to the annual consumption of over 12,000 people. It will also reduce biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) by 30% and total suspended solids (TSS) by 40% in effluents. In addition, it will lower chemical use and energy consumption in water treatment and discharge processes, while reducing operating costs associated with supply and treatment. These outcomes strengthen the plant’s productivity and improve its environmental performance.
Risk management is also central. Technologically, redundancies in critical equipment, preventive maintenance plans, and real-time monitoring minimize the likelihood of failures. Hydrological variability is addressed with flexible operation schemes and reserve tanks that ensure continuity under stress scenarios. Social perception risks are mitigated through external audits, transparent disclosure of results, and active community engagement. From a regulatory perspective, the project ensures compliance with Brazilian regulations (CONAMA 430/2011), international standards such as ISO 14001, and global reuse frameworks, reinforcing legitimacy and institutional acceptance.
Overall, the solution not only resolves a technical problem of water availability but also positions itself as a comprehensive strategy that delivers operational efficiency, climate resilience, and reputational value. Its replicability under environmental certifications and alignment with VWBA 2.0 make it a strategic model for risk mitigation and the generation of verifiable water benefits.
Project implementation follows a phased approach that consolidates learning at each stage and ensures maximum efficiency in operation. The first phase consists of a detailed water diagnosis, which over three months gathers information on freshwater consumption, effluent volumes, and quality parameters. This establishes the baseline against which project benefits will be measured. Next comes the design and installation phase, lasting twelve months, including the assembly of filtration, ultrafiltration, and UV disinfection equipment, as well as the integration of IoT sensors and a SCADA platform connected with blockchain for digital traceability.
Once installation is complete, the commissioning and validation stage begins, scheduled for two months. During this phase, performance tests are conducted, alarms are calibrated, and technical staff are trained to ensure correct operation. This confirms that the regenerated water complies with industrial reuse standards, both national and international. Upon completion, the continuous operation phase begins, with real-time monitoring of key indicators, periodic reports, and annual external validations ensuring transparency.
Control and traceability instruments include electromagnetic flow meters, multiparameter probes for pH, BOD, TSS, and turbidity, as well as automatic alarms for deviations. Physical traceability is ensured by separate pipelines and dedicated tanks for regenerated water, avoiding any cross-contamination. Governance involves the industrial complex as operator, technology providers for technical support, the National Water Agency (ANA) as regulator, and an accredited external verifier certifying results under VWBA 2.0.
The maintenance scheme combines quarterly preventive reviews, monthly inspections of critical equipment, and immediate response protocols for failures. All of this is framed within a logic of continuous improvement, where performance data feed process adjustments, equipment modernization, and technological updates that secure long-term resilience and scalability.
The proposal involves implementing a tertiary industrial reuse system at the Resende complex, which through filtration, ultrafiltration, and UV disinfection converts effluents into safe water for non-potable processes. The design includes dedicated pipelines and continuous digital monitoring to ensure quality and traceability. The entire scheme complies with Brazilian regulations (CONAMA 430/2011), international environmental management standards (ISO 14001), and global water reuse guidelines.
The solution’s relevance lies in its direct response to the water stress of the Paraíba do Sul basin and in strengthening the plant’s operational resilience under climate change. Compared to the baseline scenario of total dependence on freshwater, the intervention reduces withdrawals by 20% and valorizes over 80,000 m³ of effluents annually. These outcomes represent tangible savings, improved water quality, and environmental benefits that reinforce social license to operate.
The strategic value is equally evident. The project integrates into the Water Positive roadmap, strengthens ESG commitments, and connects with international frameworks such as the Science Based Targets for Water, NPWI, the CEO Water Mandate, and the 2030 Agenda. Its potential for replication in other plants and geographies under water stress is high, multiplying its impact and visibility.
Ultimately, the final impact transcends the corporate scale: the project relieves pressure on a critical basin, enhances resilience to climate variability, and sends a powerful message to the market and society. It demonstrates that producing vehicles with a reduced water footprint and a tangible commitment to sustainability is possible, positioning this industrial complex as a reference in the transition toward a regenerative economy.
Beyond technical and environmental results, the initiative provides direct and indirect social benefits. The operation and maintenance of the system create specialized jobs in the region, strengthening local capacities in water management and reuse technologies. By reducing pressure on the Paraíba do Sul River, it contributes to improving water security for urban and rural communities, lowering potential conflicts between users and productive sectors. Moreover, reducing pollutant discharges positively impacts public health by improving the quality of surface and groundwater in the basin. In this way, the project generates not only environmental and economic value but also strengthens the social fabric and long-term license to operate.
