How Scotch Whisky Leaders Are Redefining Water Stewardship
Diageo and the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) are setting new benchmarks for freshwater protection and responsible water use across Scotland’s whisky sector, advancing Scotch whisky water stewardship and sustainable whisky production practices.
📬 Sign up for Craft Cask's free whisky newsletter for weekly insights into global trends, releases, and sustainability in whisky.
Key Takeaways
Water stewardship is now a central pillar of sustainability in Scotch whisky production.
Diageo targets a net-positive water impact in water-stressed regions by 2026.
SWA promotes shared water metrics and transparent reporting.
Climate adaptation is reshaping whisky production practices.
Cutting-edge water systems are becoming standard for environmentally responsible distilling.
Source: Diageo | Diageo distilleries first to achieve water stewardship certification globally
Diageo's Strategy: Target-Driven Water Conservation
Under its Society 2030: Spirit of Progress plan, Diageo’s “Preserve Water for Life” initiative commits to replenishing more water than it uses at all sites in water-stressed areas by 2026. This target is backed by a 40% improvement in water-use efficiency in water-stressed basins and 30% globally from a 2020 baseline.
Since a 2020 baseline, Diageo has achieved a 21% improvement in water efficiency company-wide and 44% in distilleries. The company uses site-specific water-balance planning, life-cycle water-footprint analysis, and WRI Aqueduct water-stress assessments to guide actions. across its distilleries and breweries. The company uses site-specific water-balance planning, life-cycle water-footprint analysis, and WRI Aqueduct water-stress assessments to guide actions.
Strategic partnerships include projects in Alwar, India, such as check-dam construction, reforestation, and community WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene) programmes, which have helped replenish over 64 million litres of water annually.
“By 2026, we aim to replenish more water than we use in our operations in water-stressed areas,” said Michael Alexander, Diageo’s Head of Water, Environment and Agriculture Sustainability.
Diageo's Cameronbridge distillery, in partnership with Veolia, uses reverse-osmosis to recover water for reuse in its bio-energy plant and distillery processes—enhancing sustainability through high-reuse water systems rather than dedicated closed-loop cooling.—demonstrating advanced, closed-loop recovery.
SWA's Collective Approach to Water Resilience
On 10 July 2023, the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) published its Water Stewardship Framework, offering risk-based guidance to distilleries on improving water efficiency. It's part of SWA’s broader Sustainability Strategy launched in January 2021.
The framework sets a 2025 target range of 12.5–25 litres of water per litre of alcohol produced, adjusted by distillery size and capacity. It is built on three pillars: Responsible Use, Engagement & Collaboration, and Advocacy.
SWA members pledge to report water management activities publicly and share monitoring tools to help identify and act on water-efficiency opportunities. Many also collaborate with SEPA on catchment-specific water resilience plans.
“Sustainable water use isn’t just about compliance—it’s about clear standards and public accountability,” said an SWA spokesperson.
Water Stewardship's Role in Scotch’s Long-Term Viability
Scotland’s shifting climate presents escalating risks. By 2050, drought events—defined by low river flow for over 30 days—are projected to double, particularly in eastern regions. These disruptions could halt whisky production and cost up to £150,000 per day.
Industry responses include:
Redesigning processes to enable water reuse in cooling, cleaning, and mashing.
Investing in nature-based solutions such as wetlands, buffer zones, and oyster reefs.
Partnering with research bodies to improve climate resilience.
Glenmorangie’s DEEP (Dornoch Environmental Enhancement Project) has restored 100,000 native oysters in the Dornoch Firth since 2014, targeting a 4-million oyster reef by 2030. These oysters filter water, support marine biodiversity, and help sequester carbon.
Bruichladdich, a Certified B Corp, has installed cooling towers and sub-coolers on Islay to reduce water consumption. It also funds regenerative agriculture projects at Shore House Croft to enhance soil and water retention.
What to Watch Next
The SWA has committed the Scotch whisky industry to net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, five years ahead of Scotland’s national goal, through the Race to Zero initiative. Water stewardship is central to that pledge.
Diageo’s efforts at Cameronbridge and Alwar demonstrate how advanced recovery systems—like reverse osmosis, anaerobic digestion, and closed-loop cooling—can help distilleries operate sustainably. While Diageo has not published evidence of full zero-liquid discharge systems, its high-reuse strategy is delivering tangible results.
Looking ahead, innovation in sensor-based metering, AI-driven water monitoring, and expanded nature-based interventions will likely accelerate. The industry’s collaborative approach—sharing data, benchmarking progress, and engaging publicly—will be crucial for Scotch whisky’s sustainable future.
To receive your weekly whisky industry news roundup, sign up for our free whisky newsletter.
Share on social media
