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The Water Council Launches WAVE to Accelerate Water Stewardship

Program helps companies assess water risk and verify stewardship progress

The Water Council today announces a new program to improve, report and recognize good corporate water stewardship. WAVE – Water Stewardship Verified – provides a proven onramp for companies to develop thoughtful strategies, set meaningful goals and take impactful action on water across the enterprise, concluding with independent verification that the company has built a credible foundation of knowledge on which to base its water stewardship work.

The Water Council, an internationally acclaimed nonprofit dedicated to freshwater innovation, spent the past two years creating, piloting and refining the WAVE methodology. For years, The Water Council has helped companies from large multinational corporations to small family-owned businesses mitigate water-related risk and improve water stewardship outcomes. But it identified a gap in the market when it comes to connecting corporate water stewardship plans and goals with meaningful operational action. The WAVE program is a demonstrated method that bridges that gap.

“No longer are Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)-related performance improvements and reporting optional for businesses. While attention has largely been directed at carbon when tackling environmental issues, water is right around the corner,” said Dean Amhaus, The Water Council President and CEO. “WAVE offers companies a blueprint to create a water stewardship strategy and begin the critical work of improving water-related outcomes.”

WAVE participants will be independently verified by SCS Global Services, an international leader in third-party verification of environmental, social and sustainability performance, helping organizations demonstrate and communicate their corporate responsibility and sustainability success stories. Independent verification is crucial to demonstrate to investors, customers and other stakeholders that the company has prioritized water-related action where it matters most, ultimately mitigating water-related risk and addressing shared water challenges and opportunities while building a more water-resilient supply chain.

“With third-party verification comes confidence in the legitimacy of water stewardship achievements and environmental contributions, and that is more important than ever to stakeholders,” said Rae Mindock, SCS Global Services’ Manager for Responsible Water Practices. “With WAVE and The Water Council, we look forward to helping companies work toward growth in meeting their corporate sustainability goals. The program is a solid step for any company to take in advancing their water stewardship journey.”

The Water Council piloted the WAVE program with several major companies, including Watts Water Technologies, Nutrien, A. O. Smith Corporation and Badger Meter.

“Participating in the WAVE pilot program has allowed us to better understand water as a shared resource and given us a community-based perspective when thinking about water usage and our place in this system,” said Ken Lepage, General Counsel, Chief Sustainability Officer and Secretary, Watts Water Technologies. “By looking beyond our footprint, we can make a larger impact in the watershed as a whole, and our water stewardship journey has just begun.”

The WAVE program is available to organizations of all sizes, industries and locations. To learn more, visit waveverified.com.