Volume of water discharged, including concentrations of key pollutants and temperature of water discharged

Unit

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: Cubic meters (m³), Milligrams per liter (mg/l), Degrees Celsius (°C)

Indicator

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: Wastewater discharged

Metric type

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: Pressure

Framework alignment notes

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TNFD C2.1 Volume of water discharged split into: • Total • Freshwater; and • Other. Pollutants and water quality metrics to report include: • pH; • TSS (Total Suspended Solids); • TDS (Total Dissolved Solids); • Mercury; • TPH (Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons); • BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand); • Dissolved solids; and • Suspended solids. Including: Concentrations of key pollutants in the wastewater discharged, by type of pollutant, referring to sector-specific guidance for types of pollutants; and Temperature of water discharged, where relevant. Guidance for EN/BE/RE/RS: Reporting of water discharged under the core global disclosure metric should additionally be broken down by destination: • Surface water; • Groundwater; • Seawater; and • Third-party water, and the volume of this total sent for use to other organisations. Pollutants to report under the core global disclosure metric include: • Dissolved solids; and • Suspended solids. Thermal - an organisation should include thermal discharges. Oil & Gas - In reporting this core global disclosure metric, the organisation should include: • The volume of produced water and flowback generated. This should be broken down by percentage: • Discharged; • Injected; and • Recycled. Pollutants to report under this core global disclosure metric include: • Hydrocarbons in both produced water and process wastewater (mg/litre); and • Chemical additives, metals, naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) and salts. In reporting this core global disclosure metric, the organisation should include the number of incidents of non-compliance associated with water quality permits, standards and regulations. Typical parameters of concern include hydrocarbons (including oil and grease), chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), sulphides, ammonia, phenols, total suspended solids (TSS) and total dissolved solids (TDS).
GRI 11: Oil and Gas Sector
SASB EM-EP-140a.2
AWS 1.5.4 Water quality, including physical, chemical, and biological status, of the catchment shall be identified, and where possible, quantified. Where there is a water-related challenge that would be a threat to good water quality status for people or environment, an indication of annual, and where appropriate, seasonal, high and low variances shall be identified. AWS 1.3.4 Water quality of the site’s water source(s), provided waters, effluent and receiving water bodies shall be quantified. Where there is a water-related challenge that would be a threat to good water quality status for people or environment, an indication of annual, and where appropriate, seasonal, high and low variances shall be quantified AWS 1.3.5 Potential sources of pollution shall be identified and if applicable, mapped, including chemicals used or stored on site.
Voluntary P2 Reduction in pollutant concentration: Percentage reduction in pollutant concentration
CDP Water Security W1.2b What are the total volumes of water withdrawn, discharged, and consumed across all your operations, how do they compare to the previous reporting year, and how are they forecasted to change. W1.2i Provide total water discharge data by destination W1.2k Provide details of your organization's emissions of nitrates, phosphates, pesticides, and other priority substances to water in the reporting year.
ISO 14046 - data describing water quality (including for water withdrawal, release and water receiving body) emissions to air, water and soil that impact water quality quantities of water used (including water withdrawal and release)
PWI P2 Reduction in pollutant concentration: Percentage reduction in pollutant concentration

Target example
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[Company name] will reduce the concentrations of [pollutant type] in discharged water by [target percentage]% by [target year], compared with a baseline of [baseline percentage]% in [baseline year]

Target source: WBCSD target template

Metric assessment

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Relevance: High

Feasibility: High

Additional Metric Notes
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ACT-D stage: Assess Maturity stage: Developing Metric Contribution to Action: Measuring discharge volumes and pollutant levels helps assess pollution impact and informs efforts to improve wastewater quality. Observations/Successes/Challenges: > Temperature changes can harm ecosystems, but thresholds vary depending on local conditions. > Not all pollutants are consistently monitored or reported (e.g., emerging contaminants like microplastics, pharmaceuticals). > Lacks clarity on pollutant scope

Related actions

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Reduce water use and wastage, particularly in water-stressed areas

Reduce water use and wastage, particularly in water-stressed areas

Description