Interview with Snehal Desai, Executive Vice President, Chief Sustainability and Growth Officer, Evoqua Water Technologies
Congratulations on the release of Evoqua’s sustainability report. What key takeaways in this report is Evoqua the most proud of?
Thank you! Evoqua is on a sustainability journey that continues to grow each year. Preparing our annual Sustainability Report is an important time for us to reflect on all that we have accomplished as well as what we want to continue to improve on in the future.
Our 2021 report covers broad ESG topics that include our efforts to reduce our environmental footprint, improve our safety culture, and build a more inclusive and diverse workforce. In addition,
we have new features on risk management and cybersecurity. We have also compiled and disclosed new data, including our scope 1 and 2 emissions, as well as our water reuse, intensity, and withdrawal figures. We are excited to report that we reused over 55% of the water we have withdrawn this year with this new data.
Sharing this information is an important step in transparency with our stakeholders on our path toward reaching our corporate sustainability goals.
What does “Earth Day” mean at Evoqua as you live like it’s Earth Day 365 days a year, in terms of your company’s imprint on the world around you?
At Evoqua, we define our sustainability impact through:
- Our Handprint: Enabling our customers to become more sustainable through our solutions and service offerings. Our technologies transform approximately 100 billion gallons of water for our customers daily, which is over 4.5 times the amount of water flowing over Niagara Falls every day.
- Our Footprint: Evoqua’s responsibility to become more sustainable in our internal operations. Currently, our facilities withdraw approximately 1.5 million gallons of water every day, of which we are working to become water positive by 2030.
With “sustainable” as a core value at Evoqua, we are committed to making our operations more sustainable, especially as it relates to better utilizing water resources. This past year, we furthered our commitment to sustainability by setting significant and purposeful corporate sustainability goals. These goals are centered on becoming water positive by 2030 and reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Tell us a bit more about the industries Evoqua partners with to provide water and wastewater treatment solutions.
Evoqua is a global multi-faceted water technology company with many end-user markets. Our core business is to treat water that the public and private sectors depend on for health, compliance, product quality, sustainability, and resilience.
We operate in all the major vertical markets, supporting some of the largest companies across those verticals. Major markets include life science, renewable energy, food & beverage, microelectronics, and municipal water and wastewater, among many others that depend on water.
How does Evoqua’s team show its leadership in the community, both environmental and otherwise?
In addition to helping our customers treat their complex water and wastewater challenges and supporting them in achieving their sustainability goals, our employees continue to significantly impact communities across the globe through our corporate social responsibility program. This year, from World Water Day (March 22) to Earth Day (April 22), Evoqua hosted a global volunteering initiative, with employees participating in various events to support local community organizations.
To show our leadership in water and sustainability, we are active members of several Pennsylvania-based organizations such as Sustainable Pittsburgh, CEOs For Sustainability, the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Sustainable Business, and of course, as new members of the Pennsylvania Chamber.
What does the future hold for Evoqua as you continue to innovate and maintain water as a critical, yet finite, resource?
This Fall, Evoqua opened its new Sustainability and Innovation Hub, located in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville Tech Forge, a hotbed for innovation in the region. This new facility is an investment in further advancement and development of cutting-edge and sustainable water treatment technologies critical to addressing developing water trends, including water and climate risks, emerging contaminants, connectivity, and health and safety. The facility includes a state-of-the-art lab, demonstration and pilot testing, and meeting space for collaboration.
We are looking forward to connecting with peers and the community to collaborate on our individual sustainability journeys and invite our fellow PA chamber members to reach out to learn more.
About Evoqua Water Technologies
Evoqua Water Technologies is a leading provider of mission-critical water and wastewater treatment solutions, offering a broad portfolio of products, services, and expertise to support industrial, municipal and recreational customers who value water. Evoqua has worked to protect water, the environment and its employees for more than 100 years, earning a reputation for quality, safety, and reliability around the world. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the company operates in more than 150 locations across 10 countries. Serving more than 38,000 customers and 200,000 installations worldwide, our employees are united by a common purpose: Transforming Water. Enriching Life®.
MEDIA CONTACT
Evoqua Water Technologies
Sarah Brown, Media
Telephone: 506-454-5495
Email: sarah.brown@evoqua.com