In accordance with the Group’s guideline, ArcelorMittal Brazil’s Long Carbon units are constantly looking for ways to improve the water management. Now, there are investments in studies to analyse alternative sources for abstraction (groundwater, rainwater and use of reuse water) while projects are being developed to reduce consumption and expand water recirculation.
Another key issue in water governance is the knowledge of the local context for each unit. In this case, the active and constructive participation of ArcelorMittal Brazil’s representatives in the federal and state river basin committees helps to identify legislative trends, creating opportunities to always be present in debates on major local problems. ArcelorMittal Brazil’s Long Carbon units participate in the basin committees of Piracicaba, Capivari and Jundiaí rivers (PCJ – SP), Paraíba do Sul river (MG and RJ), Pará River and Velhas River (MG), among others.
In order to ensure the availability of water resources for ArcelorMittal Brazil operations in the short, medium and long term, all its units either have implemented or are implementing a specific Water Master Plan (WMP), according to the unit and its operation.
In general, WMPs include three axes of action: search for alternative sources, efficient use of water, and institutional representation. In the first axis, groundwater abstraction and studies for the use of water from Water and Sewage Treatment Plants stand out. In the second axis, in addition to management actions, investments were made to increase recirculation and R&D studies to identify opportunities for optimizing use. Institutional actions involve participating in representative forums, public commitments and by encouraging water production in river basins.
In 2018, the strategy to implement the WMPs led ArcelorMittal Brazil to win the Sustainability Excellence category of the Steelie Awards, an annual award promoted by World Steel Association.