Water
Business context
Water is essential to our products, manufacturing processes and the communities where we operate. Nearly half of our sales come from products that contain water, and nearly all our plants rely on water in their operations. Access to reliable, high-quality water resources is therefore important to our ability to make products, maintain safe and efficient operations, and meet the needs of consumers and customers.
Water availability and quality vary by location and may be affected by changing climate conditions and growing demands on shared resources. In water-stressed areas, scarcity or deteriorating quality could affect operational continuity, product formulation and sanitation while placing additional pressure on communities and ecosystems. Using water efficiently and understanding local watershed conditions can help Clorox manage these risks, improve operational resilience and identify opportunities for process improvement.
Goals and commitments
Drive continued water efficiency improvements in our facilities and evaluate water footprint opportunities in high-water-stressed regions.
Management approach and initiatives
Progress toward our water-related goals is overseen by our robust sustainability governance structure. We manage water as part of our broader approach to operational resilience and physical climate-related risk. Because water conditions vary by location, we combine efficiency efforts across our manufacturing network with a localized approach in areas facing greater water stress.
Water risk assessments
We conduct annual water-risk assessments using the World Resources Institute’s Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas. These assessments help us identify facilities located in areas of high or extremely high baseline water stress and inform where more localized evaluation and action may be appropriate.
Localized action plans
At selected manufacturing facilities in water-stressed areas, we develop and implement localized water action plans to assess water use, identify efficiency opportunities and address site-specific risks. This approach allows facilities to consider the conditions and challenges affecting the watersheds in which they operate rather than applying the same response in every location.
Operational efficiency and resilience initiatives
Across our broader manufacturing network, we pursue water-efficiency projects and infrastructure improvements that support operational resilience. These efforts include water-recycling infrastructure, equipment upgrades, filtration and recovery improvements, process mapping and conservation training.
Water reduction through product innovation
Product innovation can also reduce water use beyond our facilities. In 2024, Pine-Sol introduced a more concentrated multisurface cleaner that delivers the same cleaning performance in bottles half the previous size. By reducing the amount of water shipped in each product and enabling consumers to dilute the formula at home, the innovation helps reduce water needed for production while also lowering transportation-related impacts and reducing packaging needs.
Recent progress
- In 2025, Clorox withdrew 2,861 megaliters of water globally, a 13% reduction versus the 3,306 megaliters withdrawn in our 2018 baseline year. Water withdrawals per thousand cases sold were 0.0060 megaliters, remaining below the 2018 baseline of 0.0063 megaliters.
- Our 2025 water-risk assessment identified 19 facilities in areas of high or extremely high baseline water stress, representing 32% of our global water withdrawals. At selected manufacturing facilities, we continue to utilize localized action plans to assess water use, identify efficiency opportunities and address site-specific risks.
Last updated
October 5, 2026