Corporate water stewardship partnerships, like beverage companies committing bottled relief water and funding drought-resilience initiatives during Cape Town’s severe 2018 water crisis, illustrate how businesses with heavy water dependency have a direct commercial incentive to invest in a city’s broader water security, not just their own operational efficiency.
Why water-intensive businesses invest beyond their own operations
Companies whose entire production process depends on municipal or alternative water sources face genuine business risk when a city faces severe water shortage, making investment in boreholes, alternate water sourcing and even direct relief supply a rational business continuity decision, not purely corporate social responsibility. Funding entrepreneurship initiatives specifically focused on “water-wise economy” solutions also reflects an understanding that long-term water security requires new business models and technology, not just emergency relief measures.
What businesses learned from severe water-constrained periods
Companies that invested in boreholes, water storage infrastructure and reduced-reliance measures during a genuine crisis period generally retained that resilience infrastructure afterward, recognising that water security risk doesn’t disappear once an immediate crisis passes. Businesses that treated water efficiency purely as a temporary crisis response, rather than building lasting operational resilience, missed an opportunity to genuinely reduce their ongoing water-related business risk.
What other businesses should learn about water resilience planning
Any business with meaningful water dependency should proactively assess its exposure to water supply disruption and consider practical resilience measures, alternate sourcing, storage capacity, efficiency improvements, before facing an actual crisis, rather than reacting under pressure once shortages are already severe. Supporting local water-related entrepreneurship and innovation, not just internal operational changes, can also directly strengthen the broader water security a business ultimately depends on.
Frequently asked questions
Why do water-intensive businesses invest in broader city water security?
Their entire production process depends on water availability, making investment in resilience a rational business continuity decision, not just social responsibility.
What water resilience infrastructure did businesses build during severe shortage periods?
Boreholes, water storage tanks and alternate sourcing measures, many of which were retained after the immediate crisis passed.
Should businesses treat water efficiency as a temporary crisis measure?
No, treating it as lasting operational resilience rather than a temporary response better reduces ongoing water-related business risk.
What should businesses with water dependency do before facing an actual crisis?
Proactively assess supply disruption exposure and build practical resilience measures ahead of time, rather than reacting under pressure.
Can businesses support water security beyond their own operations?
Yes, supporting local water-related entrepreneurship and innovation can directly strengthen the broader water security a business depends on.
Originally published in February 2018. Updated September 2026.
Water resource management via the Department of Water and Sanitation.
