Industry water resource efficiency and cost: Dalian, China

Industry water resource efficiency directly affects the sustainable use of regional water and thus affects economic development. The example of the relationship between industries, water resources and the economic system in Dalian, China, has been theoretically analyzed to illustrate this point. It was found that attention must be concentrated on those industry sectors with the highest water consumption if overall industrial water efficiency is to be improved. The effect that these high-consumption industry sectors have on water usage and water costs, as well as their related water and economic efficiencies, were extensively investigated from available data. The results show that producers of energy, chemical materials and power between them consume some 85% of the total water used by all industries in the region. Regrettably, water consumption by these industries is dozens or even hundreds of times less efficient than the industry average. Energy producers are by far the biggest water consumers, contributing 48%, 44% and 31% of the total industry water usage, dutiable water usage and water costs, respectively, despite the cost of water to this industry being only half that of the industrial average. © 2014 CAFET-INNOVA TECHNICAL SOCIETY. All rights reserved.