In a first phase, actual water use was monitored in the office and warehouse buildings of Brenntag’s location in Costa Rica. Any identified leaks or uncontrolled use was eliminated. In a second step in 2014, various measures were implemented to enable the use of collected rainwater. During the rainy season, up to 6,000 liters of water are captured in containers on top of the roof of the company’s main warehouse. Via a system of tubes, this water is fed to the location’s various buildings and used here for a number of different purposes.
In addition, water-conserving sanitary installations have been installed. Green spaces are no longer irrigated from above. This is now handled by means of a system of pipes which are directly linked up with the plants’ roots. Overall, these measures have had a considerable impact: water consumption has been reduced by more than half over a period of three years.