IBM

IBM, headquartered in Armonk, New York, is a U.S.-based technology and consulting company that offers hybrid cloud, artificial intelligence, consulting, software, infrastructure, and research services. The company's water footprint primarily results from cooling, humidity control, irrigation, domestic use, and site remediation at its offices, data centers, research sites, and manufacturing-related facilities.

A notable aspect of IBM's water strategy is reuse. In 2021, IBM reused or recycled over 26,500 cubic meters of water for landscape irrigation and cooling tower makeup. Additionally, the company conserved more than 40,000 cubic meters through projects outside water-stressed regions, such as upgrading reverse-osmosis deionized water systems at IBM Research sites to enable reuse of reject water. Collectively, these 2021 initiatives resulted in over 66,500 cubic meters of water savings, equivalent to approximately 17.6 million gallons. This represents the most thoroughly quantified achievement in the reported material.

IBM integrates water stewardship with groundwater protection. Following the discovery of groundwater contamination at one site in 1977, the company initiated groundwater monitoring at manufacturing and development locations globally. By 2021, IBM operated more than 2,000 monitoring wells at both current and former sites. In 2021, remediation systems removed approximately 10,200 pounds of solvents from groundwater and soil vapor at three active and twelve former IBM locations.

IBM's approach also incorporates technological innovation. The Call for Code initiative recognized Saaf Water as the 2021 top-prize winner, supporting the development of an accessible water quality sensor and analytics platform for rural communities dependent on groundwater. However, the company's reporting lacks depth, as it provides project-level examples but insufficient recent companywide water data to enable clear comparisons of withdrawal, intensity, or stress exposure.