Northrop Grumman Corp.

Northrop Grumman is a U.S.-based aerospace and defense technology company manufacturing products such as aircraft, spacecraft, propulsion systems, autonomous platforms, sensors, and advanced defense systems. The company uses water at all of its manufacturing and support sites across the U.S. Water is a small but relevant consideration, as optimization of its manufacturing processes, leakage control, finding alternative water supplies, and managing water risks are all part of its operational sustainability.

Northrop Grumman's top water achievement in 2025 was 20 projects expected to save 59 million gallons of water annually. The company focused the majority (75%) of these projected water savings on water-stressed sites, which ensures that efficiency investments are directly linked to regional water risk rather than spread evenly across sites without consideration of regional water risk. The project portfolio combined improved metering and leak detection at sites. The company added new water metering and leak detection at three water-stressed sites and projected savings of 30 million gallons. Twelve sites upgraded water-intensive equipment or processes, with 70% of those sites located in water-stressed areas and projected savings of 28 million gallons. These total savings are similar to those for the entire portfolio of 59 million gallons and should not be separately considered.

In 2025, withdrawals decreased from 1.606 billion to 1.578 billion gallons; water intensity decreased from 0.038 to 0.036; and the amount of reclaimed water used increased from 58.4 million to 67.8 million gallons.

Northrop Grumman only reports expected water savings and does not specify what proportion of companywide water use is in water-stressed regions. This limits the ability to fully identify the company's water risk exposure despite the company's use of the WRI Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas.