Chevron recognizes the value of fresh water as a fundamental social, environmental and economic resource. As a global company, we know that access to sufficient sources of water is essential for the communities where we operate as well as to our business. Our ability to produce energy around the world is dependent upon our ability to access sufficient sources of water, including fresh water and water of lower quality, such as recycled waste water. As users of this critical natural resource, we must manage it for the good of society, ecosystems and industry, which includes improving our water use efficiency and continued focus on water-related social and environmental impacts.
Protecting people and the environment is a core value at Chevron. We are committed to managing our use of fresh water through resource conservation, focusing on the social and environmental impacts of our operations as well as engaging with communities and other stakeholders.
With respect to fresh water, Chevron strives to:
- Continually improve environmental performance and reduce impacts from our operations.
- Integrate fresh water conservation and efficiency drivers into our business decision-making processes and operational management.
- Conserve our use of fresh water in fresh water-constrained areas by reusing, reducing, and/or recycling water.
- Account for the use of fresh water in our operations with appropriate metrics.
- Engage with governments, partners, local communities and other stakeholders on significant fresh water resource issues in areas where we operate.
- Build partnerships and participate in industry initiatives to share and promote best practices, assist with the development of industry standards, and shape and influence relevant fresh water resource policy.
Kern County, California
In Kern County, home to Chevron's largest California oil field, we have partnered with the Cawelo Water District to provide much-needed water for agricultural use. Water is a significant byproduct of the steamflooding technology we use to extract more oil from the ground. For every one barrel of oil produced in Kern County, the process generates 10 barrels of water, which we capture, treat and distribute to local farmers.
Richmond, California
In April 2011, our refinery in Richmond, California, was named Recycled Water Customer of the Year by the WaterReuse Association, a nonprofit organization focused on sustainable water issues. The award honored the refinery's work on the Richmond Advanced Recycled Expansion (RARE) Water project, a joint effort with the East Bay Municipal Utility District. The RARE facility recycles municipal wastewater into steam used in refinery operations, thereby freeing up 3.5 million gallons of fresh water per day for public use.
Updated: May 2013