1.2.3  Industrial use

In many industries water is essential. Some industries use piped water supplied from water treatment plants while others draw the water themselves from underground sources and treat it on site for use. The water may be used either as part of the production process or as an ingredient, where water is one of the components of the product, for example in a soft-drink plant (Figure 1.4). In the production process, it can be used for cooling, washing, diluting, boiling or cooking, transportation of raw materials (for example, moving potatoes in a food factory), and as a cleaning agent.

Figure 1.4  A soft-drink production plant in Ethiopia.