Blog Post By : Karun Tyagi

The textile industry, especially in areas like wet processing, is known for its heavy water consumption. From pre-treatment and dyeing to finishing, every stage of wet processing relies on large volumes of water, often consuming billions of liters per year across the industry. In regions where water is a scarce resource, textile manufacturing can contribute to severe environmental impacts, affecting both ecosystems and communities. As the need for sustainable production grows, one concept has emerged as a potential game-changer: water positivity.

Water positivity is an ambitious goal that extends beyond reducing water use—it involves giving back more water to the environment than is consumed. This blog explores how the textile wet processing industry can transition towards water positivity, why it’s crucial, and the tangible steps companies can take to create a positive water impact.

Understanding Water Positivity

Water positivity is a proactive approach where businesses and industries aim to replenish more water than they use. Unlike water neutrality, which aims for a balance between water used and replenished, water positivity seeks a surplus: restoring, conserving, or contributing to water resources beyond what’s consumed. This concept aligns well with today’s environmental priorities, which emphasize the need to restore natural resources rather than merely reduce their depletion.

For water-intensive industries like textile manufacturing, achieving water positivity means investing in sustainable technologies, improving efficiencies in water use, and supporting initiatives that benefit both natural water sources and local communities.

Why Water Positivity Matters in Textile Wet Processing

1. High Water Demand: Textile wet processing consumes large amounts of water, with dyeing alone estimated to use up to 200 liters of water per kilogram of fabric. Water positivity can help balance this demand, making the industry’s environmental footprint less damaging.
2. Pollution Concerns: Wet processing generates wastewater that often contains harmful chemicals from dyes, softeners, and other finishing agents. Reducing and treating this wastewater can mitigate pollution risks and improve overall water quality.
3. Community Impact: Many textile manufacturing hubs are located in regions where water is a limited resource. Water positivity efforts help support these communities by reducing competition for water and enhancing access to clean water.
4. Regulatory and Market Pressure: Governments and consumers are increasingly demanding sustainable practices. Water positivity not only addresses environmental concerns but also aligns with regulatory trends and market expectations for more sustainable textiles.

Achieving water positivity requires a holistic approach, integrating innovative technology, advanced treatment methods, and community-centered practices to sustainably manage water resources. Below are industry-specific strategies that textile companies can adopt in pursuit of water positivity.

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1. Enhance Water Use Efficiency

The textile industry is among the most water-intensive sectors, with processes like dyeing and finishing requiring high volumes of water. Reducing this demand is a critical first step in achieving water positivity.

• Adopt Low-Liquor-Ratio Dyeing Machines: Traditional dyeing processes consume around 100-200 liters of water per kilogram of fabric. Low-liquor-ratio dyeing machines reduce this ratio to as little as 40-50 liters per kilogram, drastically cutting water consumption.
• Switch to Digital Printing: Unlike conventional screen printing, digital printing applies color directly to fabric, eliminating the need for multiple rinsing steps. This can cut water use by over 50% in some cases.
• Implement Counter-Current Washing Systems: These systems use fresh water only in the final wash cycle, allowing previously used water to flow back to earlier cycles, resulting in reduced water usage across washing steps.

2. Recycle and Reuse Wastewater

Water recycling and reuse are essential for any company aiming for water positivity. With effective wastewater treatment, companies can reuse water multiple times, significantly lowering the demand for fresh water.

• Recycling Wash Water: In textile processing, wash water can be filtered and reused, especially in steps like washing, bleaching, and rinsing. By recycling water in a closed-loop system, textile facilities can reduce their total water demand by up to 50%.
• Recover Steam Condensate: Many textile plants use steam in their dyeing and finishing processes. Capturing steam condensate, filtering it, and feeding it back into the system allows companies to reuse this water for heating or other processes, saving both water and energy.
• Use Reverse Osmosis (RO) Treatment: RO systems treat wastewater by removing contaminants and recovering high-quality water that can be reused in production. For textile plants, this can mean reusing process water in dyeing, reducing freshwater intake, and minimizing wastewater discharge.

3. Install Rainwater Harvesting Systems

Rainwater harvesting provides a sustainable way to supplement water needs, especially for non-process applications. In water-scarce areas, it also serves as a backup source, reducing dependency on local groundwater or municipal supplies.

• Rooftop Rainwater Collection: Textile plants with large roof areas can install rainwater capture systems, collecting and storing rainwater for cooling, cleaning, or even certain stages of washing and finishing.
• Ground-Level Rainwater Storage: Textile facilities can create on-site reservoirs or cisterns to store harvested rainwater. This water can then be used for landscaping, cooling towers, or low-risk washing steps, providing a sustainable supplement to fresh water needs.

4. Invest in Groundwater Recharge and Aquifer Replenishment

In areas where textile processing facilities draw heavily on groundwater, companies can play a direct role in replenishing these resources by investing in recharge projects.

• Build Groundwater Recharge Wells: Recharge wells enable rainwater and treated wastewater to filter back into the ground, helping replenish aquifers over time. Textile companies that rely on groundwater can offset withdrawals by building recharge wells on or near their sites.
• Install Percolation Tanks: These are shallow ponds designed to hold rainwater, allowing it to gradually seep into the soil and recharge groundwater levels. Percolation tanks are particularly useful in arid regions, where rainfall can be stored for slow release into the water table.
• Enhance Local Water Bodies: Textile companies can collaborate with local authorities to restore nearby rivers, lakes, or ponds, helping improve water availability in the community and indirectly benefiting the plant’s own water resources.

5. Redesign Products and Processes for Water Conservation

Designing textiles and processing techniques that require less water helps lower total water consumption across the product lifecycle.

• Develop Low-Water-Use Dyes and Chemicals: Chemical innovations, like low wash off dyes or enzyme-based treatments, require less rinsing and use lower temperatures, helping reduce water needs in textile dyeing and finishing.
• Prioritize Dry and Low-Water Processing Technologies: Technologies like laser and ozone finishing reduce or eliminate water usage, especially in denim and garment finishing, helping textile plants achieve significant water savings.

6. Support Community and Watershed Restoration Projects

Sustainable water management must extend beyond the factory, especially in communities facing water scarcity. By investing in local water resources, textile companies can help restore the natural water cycle and contribute positively to the environment.

• Restore Local Waterways: Textile companies can work with local organizations to clean up rivers, lakes, or reservoirs, improving water quality and availability for both the community and industrial use.
• Participate in Community Water Initiatives: Textile facilities can collaborate with local governments and NGOs to install community wells, rainwater harvesting systems, or sanitation facilities, supporting water accessibility for local residents.
• Contribute to Watershed Management Programs: Watershed restoration involves activities like tree planting, soil conservation, and riverbank protection, all of which improve water retention and quality. Textile facilities can invest in such programs to help ensure a stable water supply in their region.

7. Integrate Monitoring and Data-Driven Water Management

Accurate water monitoring systems allow textile facilities to track water usage, identify inefficiencies, and set achievable water reduction goals, ensuring efficient management.

• Use IoT and Smart Water Meters: Smart meters provide real-time data on water use across each stage of textile processing. Textile plants can use this data to detect leaks, optimize water allocation, and adjust for maximum efficiency.
• Implement Water Audits: Regular water audits analyze consumption patterns and help textile companies set realistic, data-driven water conservation targets. By understanding water flows, companies can prioritize high-impact areas for water savings.
• Establish Real-Time Effluent Monitoring: For wastewater management, real-time effluent monitoring ensures that discharged water meets local environmental standards. This step helps facilities avoid fines and maintain water quality, supporting the path to water positivity.

8. Obtain Water-Specific Certifications and Comply with Water Standards

Achieving water positivity often requires adherence to standards that directly address water conservation, reuse, and discharge. Here are water-specific certifications and standards that textile companies can pursue to ensure responsible water management:

• Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard: The AWS Standard is one of the most comprehensive frameworks for water stewardship, providing guidelines on how companies can manage water sustainably and ensure a positive impact on water resources. It addresses water use, pollution, and community engagement, making it particularly relevant for textile processing facilities aiming for water positivity. Certification involves implementing sustainable water management practices across production and community initiatives.
• Bonsucro Certification (Water Module): Although initially developed for the sugarcane industry, the Bonsucro certification includes a dedicated water module that can be applied to other industries. It sets rigorous standards for water use efficiency, wastewater treatment, and replenishment. Textile facilities can leverage Bonsucro’s water module to measure and improve their water footprint in line with water positivity principles.
• Water Replenishment Credits: Some companies are also working with environmental groups to develop a system of water replenishment credits. These credits track how much water a company conserves or replenishes through initiatives like groundwater recharge and watershed restoration, aligning directly with water positivity by quantifying a company’s positive water impact.
• LEED Certification (Water Efficiency Credits): The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification includes specific water efficiency credits, which encourage facilities to reduce water use and recycle water where possible. While not a water-specific standard, achieving high water efficiency credits in LEED certification aligns with water positivity by minimizing water withdrawal and maximizing recycling.
• Water Footprint Network Standards: The Water Footprint Network offers methodologies and tools for assessing water usage, both direct and indirect, across a company’s operations. For textile facilities, calculating and managing their water footprint is a foundational step toward water positivity, allowing them to set measurable water replenishment and conservation goals.

9. Minimize Water Impact Across the Product Lifecycle

Water positivity isn’t just about direct operations; it also encompasses the broader environmental footprint of textile products, from raw material sourcing to disposal.

• Use Organic or Drought-Resistant Fibers: Materials like organic cotton, which uses less water in cultivation than conventional cotton, help minimize water use across the supply chain.
• Opt for Water-Saving Finishes: Certain textile finishes require less washing, improving water efficiency across the lifecycle. Technologies like nanotechnology coatings and wrinkle-resistant finishes reduce water usage in downstream processing.
• Educate Consumers on Water Conservation: Brands can also promote sustainable washing practices to their customers, such as washing garments less frequently or using cold water, extending water positivity to the end-user level.

Moving Toward a Water-Positive Textile Future

For the textile industry, becoming water-positive means embracing a mix of innovative technologies, sustainable practices, and community involvement. Each of the strategies outlined here—from enhancing water-use efficiency to engaging in local watershed restoration—brings the industry closer to a future where water resources are preserved and enhanced rather than depleted.

By committing to water positivity, the textile processing industry can transform its water footprint, contributing to a more resilient and sustainable global water system. With these efforts, textile companies can lead the way in responsible water stewardship, balancing growth with environmental care, and supporting a healthier planet for future generations.

Image by : Freepik