PTQ Q3 2026 Issue

Every drop counts: Water strategies for refiners The macro-level drivers of water scarcity are discussed along with typical process facility uses, providing insights on factors in a successful water management strategy

Carlos Cavalca Veolia North America Eric Ye Becht Karen Green Marathon Petroleum

A panel of industry experts at the AFPM 2026 Annual Meeting addressed challenges posed by water shortages, offering collective insights from opera- tional experience, engineering practice, regulatory over- sight, and sustainability research. Despite being a critical component of petroleum refining and petrochemical operations, water has long been treated as an abundant and inexpensive utility; a resource that flows reliably from municipal systems, lakes, rivers, or local aquifers and is consumed in processes such as evaporative cooling, steam generation, wash water, or for fire protec - tion. That era is ending. Competition for fresh water due to drought patterns, population and economic growth, and growing industry represents a risk to refinery production rates. An effective water use and conservation strategy is critical to refinery operations. Veolia North America’s Triple Net Zero Study noted that, as of 2024, 71% of companies surveyed had already implemented some form of water efficiency or con - servation programme,1 with opportunities to strengthen these strategies and plans. What follows is a structured guide to the challenge and potential strategies that refiners and petrochemical produc - ers can utilise to secure long-term fresh water supplies and

optimise their water usage without impacting production or operational efficiency. Limited availability vs increasing demand Only 1% of all fresh water is accessible for human use. 4 This limited supply supports agriculture, municipal con- sumption, industrial production, and ecosystem health for a global population that continues to grow. According to the World Economic Forum, reported by CNN in 2026, global water demand is projected to exceed supply by 40% by 2030. 2,3 In some regions, shortage of usable freshwater is not a distant, theoretical scenario; it is happening now. When US refinery, petrochemical, and natural gas processing locations 5 are overlaid on historical drought maps, 6 vulnerability to drought becomes unmistakable. As shown in Figures 1a and 1b , significant concentra - tions of petroleum refining and petrochemical capacity sit in Texas, the Gulf Coast, California, and the broader Southwest, precisely the regions that have experienced the most severe and sustained drought conditions over the past decade. In today’s world, water risk management must be treated as a dynamic, ongoing discipline rather than a one-time assessment.

US renery, petrochemical & natural gas locations

Drought-stricken areas (2015, 2018, 2022 & 2025)

Natural gas processing plants

Ethylene crackers Chemical plants (Ammonia & petrochemical) US state boundaries

Petroleum reneries

Figure 1 US oil and gas locations vs water scarcity 5,6

PTQ Q3 2026