A customer ESG questionnaire asks for your water consumption. For suppliers in manufacturing, food processing, and other water-intensive sectors it is a standard item; for everyone else it is one figure from a bill.
Before measuring anything, establish what the questionnaire actually needs.
| First question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| What do they want? | Annual water withdrawal in cubic meters, by site, with the data source. |
| Where does the number come from? | The consumption line on the water bill, or meter readings. |
| Do I need withdrawal by source? | Only if you have meters or records for it. Otherwise report total municipal consumption and say so. |
| What is "water stress"? | A classification of the location, from the WRI Aqueduct tool. Some questionnaires ask whether your sites are in stressed areas. |
| What if water is not material for us? | Say so plainly, supported by the bill. Do not leave the field blank. |
Why customers ask
Two reasons: their own reporting, and supply chain risk. Companies reporting to CDP Water Security or GRI, or pursuing SBTi targets, account for water across their value chain. They also assess whether suppliers in water-stressed regions pose an operational risk.
Measuring consumption
Meter readings
The most accurate method. Most facilities have a utility meter; larger sites may have sub-meters for specific processes. Record the reading monthly on the same date, note the unit (cubic meters or gallons), and take the difference between readings.
If the meter reads in gallons, divide by 264.17 for cubic meters. Example: 132,085 gallons ÷ 264.17 = 500 m³. International reporting standards use metric units.
Utility bills
Where meters are not accessible, the bill provides consumption. Use the "usage" or "consumption" line, not the cost. Bills show monthly consumption in m³ or kL (kiloliters, equal to m³). Keep twelve months of bills for the annual total and seasonal pattern.
Some bills combine water supply and wastewater charges. You need the supply volume, which is what you consumed. If the operation recycles water, additional metering is needed to separate total withdrawal from discharge.
Water intensity
Questionnaires increasingly ask for water intensity — consumption relative to output — alongside the absolute figure. Common denominators:
- Per revenue: total m³ ÷ annual revenue. Example: 5,000 m³ ÷ $2M = 2.5 m³ per $1,000 revenue.
- Per production unit: total m³ ÷ units produced. Example: 5,000 m³ ÷ 50,000 units = 0.1 m³ per unit.
- Per employee: total m³ ÷ headcount. Example: 5,000 m³ ÷ 100 employees = 50 m³ per employee.
Intensity allows year-on-year comparison as the business grows. A 10% rise in absolute consumption alongside 20% revenue growth is improved efficiency. The free water calculator produces these figures from consumption data.
What questionnaires ask
Total annual withdrawal (m³); withdrawal by source (municipal, groundwater, surface water); discharge volume; whether facilities operate in water-stressed areas; recycling rate. ESG Passport maps these data points to different questionnaire formats so the same question is answered the same way each time.
Water stress is usually assessed with the WRI Aqueduct classification. Check facility locations at wri.org/aqueduct to see whether a site is in a high or extremely high baseline water stress area. Operations in those regions face additional scrutiny and may need to show mitigation.
A tracking system
A spreadsheet with columns for month, meter reading or bill date, consumption (m³), source type, and notes on anomalies. Track each facility separately. Set a monthly reminder.
If you respond to more than four or five ESG questionnaires a year, a centralized system that holds water alongside energy, waste, and workforce data saves time.
Quality and discharge
Some questionnaires ask about water quality or discharge location. Small suppliers rarely need this detail; be ready to state whether you discharge to municipal sewers (most common), to surface water (permit required), or operate a zero-liquid-discharge facility.
What customers accept
For most supplier questionnaires: annual withdrawal by facility, the source of the data, and a short note on whether the site is in a water-stressed area. Utility bills, meter readings, or a landlord statement are enough for a first response. In food, chemicals, textiles, or other water-intensive sectors, expect more detailed questions on discharge, permits, recycling, and reduction actions.
If withdrawal cannot yet be split by source, report total municipal consumption and state what you are doing to improve tracking. Do not invent groundwater, surface water, or recycled water figures without meters or records.
Documentation
Keep the raw bill or meter photo, the tracking spreadsheet, and any conversion notes together. If the bill uses gallons, show the conversion. If the utility estimated a month, mark it estimated and update it when actual data arrives. For multi-site companies, track each facility separately so customers can assess water-stress exposure by location.
If water is not material for the operation, the figure still has value: it answers the question and shows the issue was checked. An office-based or low-use site should say so plainly and support it with the bill.
Baseline data collected now answers trend questions in future years.