2021 Owens Corning Sustainability Report | Reducing Our Environmental Footprint | Responsible Water | 174 WATER SOURCING & CONSUMPTION INITIATIVES Site-level efforts such as leak detection and repair, identification of unnecessary water usage, and opportunities for increased water reuse are key components of our water conservation programs. We also recognize the need to continually assess our operations for additional reuse and recycling opportunities at the corporate level. Using information from LCAs, we can identify products with high impacts and prioritize projects that address them. In addition, we continually track water intensity across all our facilities and monitor our progress. A considerable portion of the reductions we’ve made since 2018 can be attributed to our low-cost or no-cost efficiency efforts and undertaking more significant capital investment projects. INVESTMENTS IN INFRASTRUCTURE ADVANCE OUR WATER GOALS In 2021, several Owens Corning facilities made important infrastructure investments that will enable us to reduce our environmental footprint as it relates to water. Some of these investments will enable us to use water more efficiently, while others will improve water quality in areas where we operate. All of them demonstrate our commitment to responsible water use around the world. Prior to the installation of a new filtering and control system at our Mexico City, Mexico, plant, a great deal of city water was required to operate the cooling towers there. The new filtering system supports our efforts to reduce water withdrawal in areas of high water stress by enabling us to use treated water from a wastewater treatment facility rather than city water. This important water reuse project became operational in June 2021. In addition, the site has addressed leaks in their water main pipeline and installed water-saving faucets and toilets. Altogether, these projects have enabled the facility to reduce its water intensity by 20%. We also implemented two repairs in the past year at our facility in Gous-Khroustalny, Russia, to address leaks. The first involved repairing leakage in the water heating system in the facility’s office building, while the second repaired leakage in the well pipeline. Together, these repairs will save over 30,000 cubic meters of water per year. At our plant in Sedalia, Missouri, U.S., we restored a tower for our cooling water system, enabling us to treat soft water as needed and ensure that we can meet our cooling needs throughout the summer months. In addition, we modified many of the tower’s components to make operations more efficient. The investment has helped preserve the life of our melter, and it has led to significant cost savings for the plant. In Memphis, Tennessee, U.S., the installation of a 20,000-gallon tank will enable the site to recycle the city water used to cool our converters. Over the course of the project, we were able to address other related water-use issues, which will lead to even greater savings on water, sewer, and natural gas bills, as well as a reduction in the use of boiler-related chemicals. The project is expected to lead to a reduction of over 1 million gallons of water each month. Projects such as these are part of our overall approach to water use. Many of these investments will lead to a reduced reliance on municipal water systems, which helps ensure that we are doing our part to use water responsibly in the communities where we operate. As we look ahead, we anticipate more opportunities to invest in our infrastructure in ways that make a real difference in reducing our environmental footprint. Since 2018, our water conservation and efficiency efforts have saved enough drinking water for about 1.1 million people for a year. Photo submitted by: Priyanka Ruparel | Maharahstra, India