Intel Corporation, headquartered in Santa Clara, California uses about 9 billion gallons of water a year to manufacture microchips and run its global operations. Because several of their manufacturing plants are located in arid areas, water stewardship and reuse is a critical part of their business strategy. The company has invested over $220 million in water conservation since 1998 and has saved over 50 billion gallons of water which is enough for 490,000 homes for one year.

One example of this investment is their innovative partnership with the City of Chandler, AZ. A portion of Intel’s wastewater is sent to a reverse osmosis facility which cleans the water to drinking water standards and recharges the local aquifer, banking away water for future use.  In turn, grey water from city residents and businesses is sent to Intel for use at their plant.  Through these and other measures, Intel has reduced its freshwater use by 50% at the Chandler, AZ location.  This allows Intel to continue to grow their business in a high drought prone area while using less water. This partnership is mutually beneficial to both Intel and the City of Chandler.