Water is the foundation of modern scientific manufacturing — indispensable for formulation, cleaning, cooling, and the production of high-purity grades such as Purified Water (PW) and Water for Injection (WFI). As scientific operations scale in complexity and volume, water is no longer just a utility input, it has become a strategic enabler of compliance, resilience, operational continuity, and responsible growth. With rising water scarcity, strict environmental norms, and growing ESG requirements leading science companies are prioritising water stewardship as a core requirement when selecting or expanding facilities.
Water: A Strategic Asset in Scientific Operations
Pharma and biotech facilities, for example, consume large volumes of water across:
- Formulation and buffer preparation
- Utility systems (cooling towers, boilers, HVAC)
- Cleaning and sterilisation
- Wastewater treatment and safe discharge
Each of these applications rely on high-purity, tightly regulated water streams, with pharmacopeial specifications defining microbial load, conductivity, and total organic carbon.
This means water interruptions, quality variability, or discharge non-compliance can directly impact:
- Batch integrity
- Product safety
- GMP compliance
- Supply continuity
Hence, water stewardship is now embedded into operational risk management across companies.
Regulatory Expectations Are Expanding
Regulators worldwide increasingly scrutinise water quality and wastewater discharge, especially where toxic solvents or APIs can enter local ecosystems and water bodies. Environmental norms in India, the EU, and the US now emphasise:
- Lower freshwater extraction
- Strict effluent discharge thresholds
- Treatment of API-contaminated wastewater
- Mandatory reporting of water consumption and reuse
With the sector under public and regulatory focus, companies can no longer view water responsibility as optional. Instead, proactive water stewardship reduces regulatory exposure and enhances licence-to-operate.
Scarcity and Local Water Stress Make Resilience Critical
Many clusters — including parts of India — face severe groundwater depletion, fluctuating municipal supply, and long-term water stress. These challenges heighten the importance of selecting infrastructure that can:
- Reduce dependency on external water sources
- Recycle and reuse wastewater
- Maintain uninterrupted operations during seasonal shortages
Without intentional stewardship, companies risk disruptions, production losses, or strained community relations.
Efficiency, Cost Savings, and Sustainability Gains
Advanced water management systems — recycling, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, and closed-loop cooling — enable companies to dramatically lower freshwater demand and OPEX.
Wastewater recycling and ZLD-enabled circular systems can:
- Cut freshwater usage by up to 70–90%
- Reduce wastewater discharge by up to 98%
- Lower disposal and treatment costs
- Improve ESG performance for global audits
For multinational clients and global CDMOs, facilities with these systems offer faster compliance alignment and lower operational uncertainty.
Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD)
Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) has become a key trend in science infrastructure due to its ability to:
- Eliminate liquid waste discharge
- Recover up to 95–98% of water for reuse
- Enable compliance with stringent effluent regulations
With APIs and solvent residues posing environmental risks, ZLD ensures treated water is safely reclaimed and reused, supporting both environmental and regulatory expectations.
How NMRD Embeds Water Stewardship into the Heart of Its Design
Navi Mumbai Research District (NMRD) — Rx Propellant’s upcoming 16.2-acre campus in Navi Mumbai, planned for 2.5 Mn sq. ft. of development across four phases — has been designed with water stewardship as a central pillar.
Built to support advanced broad scientific operations, NMRD integrates a suite of infrastructure features that ensure resilience, efficiency, and full compliance:
Water-Stewardship Features at NMRD:
- Water-Saving Fixtures: Low-flow fittings that reduce freshwater demand across utilities and common areas.
- Rainwater Harvesting: Underground storage that captures and reuses rainwater for non-potable systems — lowering dependence on municipal sources during peak demand.
- Water Recycling & Reuse Systems: Advanced treatment ensures reclaimed water is safely reused for landscaping, utilities, and other approved applications — enabling circular water flow.
- Dedicated Sewage Treatment Plant: Onsite STP ensuring full compliance and environmentally responsible handling of domestic wastewater.
- Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) System: A robust effluent treatment plant using Closed Circuit Reverse Osmosis (CCRO) and Low-Temperature Evaporation (LTE) technologies to achieve ZLD. This supports circular water management, reduces freshwater withdrawals, and prepares companies for future regulatory standards.
For companies, these features translate to uninterrupted operations, lower sustainability risk, and faster alignment with global environmental expectations.
Conclusion
Water stewardship is no longer a sustainability trend — it is a core operational and regulatory requirement. Companies now seek campuses that minimise freshwater dependence, assure compliance, support uninterrupted GMP operations, and align with global ESG mandates.
NMRD embodies this next generation of scientific infrastructure — where water responsibility, resilience, and circularity are engineered into the foundation.
At Rx Propellant, we design and deliver purpose-built campuses that balance cutting-edge science with sustainability, flexibility, and future readiness. Our campuses are IFC EDGE Advanced and LEED Certified, underscoring our commitment to sustainable excellence. If you’re evaluating your next-generation R&D hub or manufacturing campus, let’s explore how our ESG-aligned infrastructure can drive long-term value.
