Coca-Cola’s thirst to improve SA’s water security is paying off

Coca-Cola Beverages SA (CCBSA) has long recognised its responsibility to use water wisely in its manufacturing processes, and to play a significant role in helping to improve SA’s water security. 

“Contrary to what some believe, SA is water-scarce and our country is prone to droughts. Scientists say climate change is expected to make this worse. While we are lucky to have access to clean running water, for many communities accessing water for daily use remains an ongoing struggle,” says Nozicelo Ngcobo, public affairs, communication & sustainability director at CCBSA.

A three-pronged approach

Globally, Coca-Cola has adopted a three-pronged strategy for sustainable, efficient water usage, which is focused on regenerative operations, partnering with others to improve watershed health, and enhancing the water resilience of the communities in which the company operates.

“Regenerative operations are intended to reduce local shared water challenges by complying with Coca-Cola’s water stewardship requirements to prevent water wastage, reduce the amount of water being used and safely discharge water, as well as achieve regenerative water use by reducing, reusing, recycling and replenishing within our operations,” says Ngcobo.

Healthy watersheds, she says, are about the rehabilitation, restoration and protection of the country’s watersheds and catchments. Watershed restoration and protection is aimed at addressing long-term, sustainable and cost-effective water security through nature-based solutions such as the clearing of alien invasive species.

Enhanced community water resilience is focused on the provision of access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, with a strong emphasis on empowering women and girls, who are the most vulnerable members of most of the communities in which CCBSA operates. This pillar also focuses on assisting communities to adapt to the affects of climate change.

“Our water stewardship strategy should be seen within the context of the UN’s sustainability development goal 6 and the National Development Plan, both of which advocate for universal and equitable access to affordable drinking water for all by 2030,” says Ngcobo. 

“Water stewardship is not just about helping the world, but also about making the business stronger and more resilient. By implementing water sustainability practices, we reduce costs, protect ourselves from operational disruptions resulting from insufficient water supplies, and maintain and strengthen our licence to operate, among many other benefits,” she says. 

Global strategy, local success stories

CCBSA’s efforts in support of its water stewardship strategy in SA show how a global strategy can be turned into concrete local projects. 

One example is Coke Ville, a project bringing solar-powered groundwater harvesting and treatment to communities experiencing water insecurity.

Launched in 2020, the project has expanded to nine sites in Limpopo, Eastern Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. Each project is designed to provide these communities with between 10-million and 20-million litres of water annually. 

By the end of 2021, Coke Ville was generating more than 130-million litres of water, benefiting more than 15,000 households. 

Another initiative is a partnership with the municipality of Grabouw to build skills and support the rehabilitation of water infrastructure through Project Lungisa. SA municipalities lose a huge amount of water through leaks, and Grabouw was no exception — about 60% of its potable water was lost.

Project Lungisa is transferring technical skills to local youth while providing the community with better hygiene and sanitation. It is also generating awareness of the need to conserve water. 

In similar vein, CCBSA partnered with Gift of the Givers to purchase a 34,500-litre water tanker to assist in the distribution of water in drought-stricken Makhanda (former Grahamstown). CCBSA will underwrite the running of the tanker for four years and is set to acquire another for Polokwane, which has its own water crisis. 

An important initiative is the protection and rehabilitation of watersheds. In 2021, these projects removed more than 3,000ha of invasive plants and replenished water stocks with 560-million litres that would have otherwise been consumed by these thirsty plants. 

Building water resilience for a water-scarce country is all about turning strategies into concrete results. CCBSA’s Water Stewardship Strategy 2030 demonstrates just how that can be done and what kind of practical difference it can make both in how the company operates and in the life of the communities it serves.

This article was paid for by Coca-Cola Beverages SA.