EFFC/DFI Sustainability Guide No. 4: Water Use-PDF

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The EFFC/DFI Sustainability Guide No. 4 (2026) provides practical guidance for geotechnical companies seeking to reduce their water impacts and support UN Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation. It is a voluntary reference guide, not a standard or regulation.<br /><br />Freshwater is limited and increasingly pressured by rising demand and climate change. Geotechnical work can consume water directly through activities such as jet grouting, dewatering and equipment cleaning, and indirectly through materials such as concrete and steel. Construction can also affect groundwater flows, aquifer availability, infiltration and flood risk. Reducing water use can lower costs, improve resilience to supply shortages and meet growing client, employee and regulatory expectations.<br /><br />The guide recommends prioritising actions in this order: eliminate water use where feasible, reduce demand, reuse water, then treat or clean remaining water for responsible disposal. It also advocates a continuous improvement cycle: measure current impacts, research and prioritise opportunities, engage clients and supply chains, implement changes, and review results.<br /><br />Suggested measures span the project lifecycle. Design teams can compare lower-water construction solutions, reduce material quantities, protect natural water systems, and incorporate sustainable drainage and rainwater reuse. Procurement can encourage efficient materials and suppliers. Contractors can meter consumption, repair leaks, use low-flow equipment, reuse drilling fluids and reclaimed or rainwater, and train site teams to avoid waste. Water impacts should be considered alongside other sustainability outcomes, including carbon.<br /><br />Companies can track absolute and relative consumption, operational use and the embodied water in materials. Environmental Product Declarations can help identify material hotspots; ISO 14046 offers a framework for assessing water footprints. Existing project and company sustainability schemes may include water metrics, though certification alone does not guarantee meaningful reductions.
Keywords
water management
geotechnical sustainability
EFFC DFI
SDG 6
freshwater conservation
water footprint
dewatering
rainwater reuse
ISO 14046
environmental product declarations