Water - BlueScope Steel HSEC Report 2004

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Best Practice Case Studies

Water Conservation

At a number of our sites around the world, water is a scarce and valuable resource.

Water is required for the production and processing of steel, therefore our main production facilities have traditionally been large users of water. These sites have been actively pursuing water management strategies to reduce freshwater consumption and increase the use of recycled water in the steelmaking process, where possible.

The Port Kembla Steelworks has reached a landmark agreement to take 20 megalitres of recycled water per day, reducing the steelworks' externally supplied fresh water by more than 50 per cent. The recycled water will come from Sydney Water's new, state-of-the-art sewage treatment facility just north of the Steelworks. Construction of a pipeline connecting the treatment facility and the Steelworks is currently underway.

Our Western Port and New Zealand Steelworks have extensive water recycling and freshwater consumption reduction programs in place and our Illawarra operations are participating in Sydney Water's Every Drop Counts program, a water management initiative involving audits and improvement plans to reduce water use.

These projects and other strategies and technologies implemented across the Company have resulted in a reduction in freshwater usage and increased water use efficiency, and will be implemented at our new metallic coating and painting facilities in China and Vietnam.

BlueScope Water

In keeping with our efforts to conserve water, BlueScope Steel has entered the rainwater harvesting and water infrastructure markets.

During the year, we launched a new business called BlueScope Water. The foundation for this business is the Company's many years of experience supplying steel-based products to our customers for the construction of rainwater tanks.

Two rainwater tank brands were also launched; WATERPOINT CLASSIC® and WATERPOINT SLIMLINE®. Steel water tanks will be available in a range of sizes, shapes and colours, to suit almost any site and building. They are currently available in the greater Sydney and Melbourne areas and will be available in other east coast capital cities in the coming months.

BlueScope Water has also developed the HYDRORIB™ pipe system - a unique ribbed profile pipe made from a steel composite material - for irrigation and stormwater infrastructure.

A number of BlueScope Water tanks have been installed at our Port Kembla and other sites during 2004, to further reduce the freshwater consumption of our operations.

Water Quality

The quality of water discharged from our sites is also important, as it has a potential impact on the health of waterways. Discharge water encompasses process water and stormwater.

BlueScope Steel continues to improve the quality of water discharged from its sites and has implemented a number of measures to improve water quality, including more effective water treatment processes, improved systems to prevent leaks and spills of chemicals and better kerbing and drainage to reduce stormwater run-off.

Despite increasingly strict licence requirements over the years, the Company has continued to reduce licence exceedances from its major operating sites.

Non-Compliances
Water Emissions

Fresh Water Consumption (Megalitres)
New Zealand Steel

Fresh Water Consumption
(Megalitres)
Port Kembla Steelworks

Fresh Water Consumption
(Megalitres)
Western Port

Fresh Water Consumption
(Megalitres)
BlueScope Steel Total

Fresh Water Efficiency
(Litres per Tonne of Steel)
New Zealand Steel

Fresh Water Efficiency
(Litres per Tonne of Steel)
Port Kembla Steelworks

Fresh Water Efficiency
(Litres per Tonne of Steel)
Western Port