Water management

Our approach

Xstrata’s Sustainable Development Policy sets out our commitment to continually improve the efficiency with which we use raw materials, energy and natural resources including water. Xstrata operates a number of sites in water-scarce regions, where a large number of industrial users together with communities rely on constrained sources of water.

Our performance this year

Total water consumption (megalitres)

Total fresh water use almost doubled to 168,700 megalitres (ML) on an absolute basis in 2007 due to the inclusion of the acquired Falconbridge operations (excluded in 2006). On a like-for-like basis, fresh water consumption declined by 5% year-on-year.

In 2007, 67% of Xstrata’s water consumption was taken from surface water (including water from rivers and lakes) and 26% from groundwater (including rainwater). Potable water sources (municipal water supplies or other water utilities) contributed 7% of the Group’s water supply.

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