Two years ago, a severe drought hit the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality on the southern coast of South Africa. Reservoirs were nearly empty, pushing the population of 1.3 million close to “day zero” when water stops flowing from the taps. The region is home to an Orion S.A. facility that produces carbon black – an essential material for the country’s tire industry. The crisis inspired Orion to find a solution that would help the municipality conserve its precious water supply. Despite si...