Water

Our commitment to reducing environmental impact includes being a good steward of a vital resource we all rely on – water. Accordingly, while our operations are not significantly water intensive, we make efforts to manage our water use, and simultaneously consider our indirect water consumption by helping our customers reduce their water use.

Managing Our Water Use and Addressing Water Risk

We manage water in accordance with all relevant regulations and focus on water conservation with corporate support for global data reporting and water risk management. Conservation efforts at several of our operating companies also include setting goals for water efficiency as part of their ISO 14001 certifications.

The Dover corporate center collaborates closely with our operating companies to manage processes for internal reporting of water consumption. Operational and financial representatives from Dover’s operating companies work closely with corporate stakeholders, including the Sustainability Steering Committee, to coordinate management of water use across our facilities worldwide.

We continue to enhance our year-over-year tracking of water withdrawal and water consumption data, which has resulted in an increase of our water values compared to previous years. We also continue to enhance water-efficiency in our operations, including recycling water throughout our operations, harvesting rainwater and wastewater, and improving equipment efficiencies. In the future, we expect total water withdrawals to increase in some operating companies as our operations continue to grow.

Water is a necessary resource to operate our facilities, and in some regions, the demand for water exceeds supply. To develop our understanding of the business risks associated with water, we are utilizing the World Resources Institute (WRI) Aqueduct tool. This tool helps us assess risks related to water scarcity, water quality, and current and future regulations that could affect water availability and pricing, as well as potential reputational concerns arising from our water use and management. In 2024, our analysis with the Aqueduct tool revealed that approximately 19% of Dover's facilities are in areas with high or extremely high 'overall water risk.' These higher-risk sites accounted for about 16% of Dover’s total water withdrawal. This indicates that water use at these sites is either on par with or more efficient than the average across all Dover facilities. As with other sustainability-related risks, water risks are evaluated and integrated into our broader company-wide oversight of risk management as needed and are addressed in part by ongoing conservation efforts at our operating companies.

We are focused on reducing our water use at sites located in areas considered to be in high or extremely high ‘overall water stress,’ as measured by the WRI Aqueduct Tool. One of these sites in India reuses water from handwashing stations for non-potable purposes such as toilet flushing and gardening, while other facilities reuse water to block exhaust gases in manufacturing processes. By recycling water, our operating companies limit the need to withdraw water in these water-stressed areas. In another example, in 2023, SWEP reduced its water withdrawal intensity by 16% at a site in China by monitoring water usage and improving production processes, which effectively minimized water leaks at the site. Together with our operating companies, we are investing in innovative, water-efficient systems to further reduce our water use in water-stressed regions.

Managing water at operating companies through ISO 14001

A number of our operating companies are certified to ISO 14001, which requires setting goals for resource efficiency, including water. For example, Markem-Imaje targets a 50% improvement in water consumption by 2030 from a 2019 baseline across the whole operating company. Markem-Imaje is building on a strong legacy of water performance, having reduced water consumption by 53% since 2010 as a result of improving manufacturing processes and managing water discharges. For example, its Keene location installed a closed-loop system that re-circulates cooling water for operations. Read more in the Markem-Imaje sustainability brochure, ESG in Action.

Dover’s JK Group, a chemical company that produces water-based inks, exemplifies water use conservation. Water is the main raw material used in the company’s production plant. JK Group recently installed a new system to collect wastewater coming from the production plant and dilute it so that it may be reused for cleaning the plant’s piping and tanks. The new system helped reduce water per unit of production by 44% in 2021 over the prior year.

Reducing Water Use Through Product Innovation

We also consider water-related risks across the value chain, particularly the value we can bring to our customers by developing products and solutions that help them reduce their water footprint.

For example, MS Printing Solutions, part of Dover Digital Printing offers an integrated pigment solution, which includes a printing machine, ink, software, and dryer, which work together to promote more sustainable digital textile printing. For example, the Digistar Pigment 4k is a patent-pending ink that does not require pre-treatment or post-treatment, reducing the consumption of water and energy by 85% relative to conventional printing inks.

MS Printing Solutions has also developed pigment printing solutions that enable a waterless process for more sustainable and cost-effective printing. The JP7 digital scanning printing machine includes a zero-wastewater recirculation system which drastically reduces water consumption for our customers. Initial tests suggest that the system can provide water savings of more than 90% over the course of an hour of operation. Together, the Digistar Pigment 4k ink and JP7 printing machine transforms printing into a more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable process.

Another example of our products supporting water conservation is PSG Cincinnati’s Hydro Systems' product line of proportioning, dosing and dispensing solutions that are used to accurately dilute and/or dispense concentrated cleaning chemicals so they can be safely and effectively used in commercial cleaning applications. The innovative EvoClean dispenser is the world’s first venturi (or vacuum) -based, water-powered dispenser for on-premises laundry applications. Unlike other laundry dispensers, EvoClean dispensers do not require squeeze tubes and drive dramatic reductions in maintenance costs. Their delivery performance is precise, and it will not under-dose chemicals. This gives laundries less downtime, less re-wash and more predictable, clean results with every wash. The EvoClean system uses 60% less water, or 3.7 fewer gallons per load, when compared to traditional laundry dispensers.

Dover believes that sustainability-driven innovation presents a significant growth opportunity while contributing positively to conservation of an increasingly scarce resource in many geographies. For more information on our innovative and sustainable products and solutions, please visit our Innovation for Sustainable Products webpage. See our Reports and Disclosures page for our latest CDP Water response and more information about our water consumption and management.

Designing Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers for Clean Tap Water: SWEP

SWEP is a world-leading supplier of brazed plate heat exchangers, which are used in tap water solutions around the world. SWEP leverages innovative product design that supports environmental compliance by preventing hazardous leaks and providing clean, temperature-controlled tap water. The SWEP B8DW heat exchanger uses double wall technology to prevent contamination from internal leakage and mixing of hazardous fluid. The technology promotes safety and environmental compliance in a range of applications, including tap water systems. In these applications, the double wall technology protects the potable tap water from potentially hazardous water or fluids.

The revolutionary Sealix^® technology is another innovative solution that protects water quality in SWEP’s tap water solutions. Sealix^® is a SiO₂-based thin-film technology that increases corrosion resistance, decreases the tendency for scaling, and increases durability. A protective layer is applied to all surfaces of a heat exchanger that come into contact with water to increase the lifetime and operational safety of the system, reducing maintenance costs and unplanned downtime.

SWEP’s use of these technologies in its brazed plate heat exchangers helps customers meet regulatory requirements and local quality standards for tap water systems. SWEP’s products have been recognized with a variety of tap water certifications from regulatory bodies around the world.