The aerospace industry, like all water-intensive industries, is moving toward water efficiency in the face of growing global water scarcity. The industry relies on water for a wide range of uses, such as fabrication processes, component washing, production-line cooling, and robotic waterjet cutting.

The quality of water required in the industry also covers a wide range, from ultrapure deionized water on one end of the spectrum to irrigation-quality treated wastewater effluent on the other. Downstream, the aerospace industry is also applying new technologies to clean up its wastewater discharges.