Industrial water mass balance as a tool for water management in industrial parks

Industry is demanding ever-greater volumes of water, while at the same time producing wastes and effluents, which in many places taint and damage the quality of this precious resource on which all life depends. This article formalizes a systematic water mass balance framework to quantify all anthropogenic and natural water flows into, water flows inside and effluents out of the industrial parks. Quantitative performance indicators are derived, including management and operation indicators. The approach makes visible large flows of water that have previously been unaccounted and ignored. In 2012–2014, the water consumption, which made up 59.5–90.2% of industrial water withdrawal, was 8.5–51.2% higher than wastewater generation. The approach demonstrates how the principles of water balance can help robust water accounting, monitoring, optimum operating and management in industrial parks. Furthermore, performance indicators could evolve to a useful tool for leading to more systematic analysis of the impact of industrial design and management.