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Water conservation at Thane, India

Case Study

Water conservation at Thane, India

GSK’s site at Thane, near Mumbai in India, manufactures medicines for the local market. Thane introduced measures to conserve and minimise water use in 2004, including rainwater harvesting, improving efficiency and installing water saving technologies. Between 2003 and 2005, the site reduced water consumption from 200,000 kilolitres per year to 160,000 kilolitres per year.

The site is located in a monsoon region, meaning it experiences irregular rainfall and water shortages during the dry season. This problem is amplified by increasing urbanisation and agricultural development. Thane receives water from the municipal supply and uses it for cooling, generating steam in the boiler, and in the gardens.

Thane installed rainwater catchment devices on roofs near the site’s boiler and cooling towers. The rainwater is pumped to storage tanks ready for immediate use, or pumped into a borewell to replenish the water table. As a result, water consumption during the peak monsoon month of September dropped from 16,000 kilolitres in 2003 to 12,000 kilolitres in 2004.

Several measures were introduced to save water, including a steam recovery device for the boiler, prohibiting hose cleaning of plant floors, installing photo-sensors in the urinals and installing foot operated taps in the site’s canteen.

Thane installed a drip irrigation system in the garden and the sprinkler system was changed to reduce the amount of water lost through evaporation. Other changes to the garden included altering the planting season to coincide with wetter months, watering plants during the early morning and allowing the grass to grow longer so it holds in soil moisture.

Thane was awarded third place in the environment category of the CEO's EHS Excellence Awards for its water conservation improvements.