Philippines: The Cement Manufacturers' Association of the Philippines (CeMAP) is supporting major cement players in the Philippines to tap rainwater in a move that supports national and global water conservation efforts. CeMAP said that local cement producers have decided that the use of rainwater sits well with their water-management concepts. Water is mainly used to cool cement kilns and the hot gas streams used in cement production. Production of a tonne of clinker in modern cement plants consumes an average of about 100-200L of water. The cement plants use an average of 3.2BnL/yr of water.

"Sustainability has always been a major advocacy of all cement companies. A critical strategy for sustainable development includes implementation of effective water management systems in cement plants," said CeMAP president Ernesto Ordoñez. He added that the scheme reduces the dependence of cement plants on water coming from traditional sources such as waterways and commercial suppliers. Cement producers in the Philippines are also considering installing waterless urinals at their plants, which can save an average of 180,000L/yr of water.