A term we are likely to hear more of in coming years is “water footprint.”  Understanding what a water footprint is a bit complicated because there are different definitions of it. 

One definition of water footprint is simply the amount of fresh water used by an individual, facility, business, or an entire community.  It can even refer to an entire geographic area such as discussing the water footprint of the San Diego metropolitan area.

However, most definitions of water footprint expand on this definition and brings in such things as the amount of water required to produce the clothes we wear, the food we eat, make manufactured goods, etc.   According to the Water Foot Print Network, an organization founded in 2008 to advocate for more responsible water use, a working definition for water footprint is the following:

A water footprint is a measurement of the amount of water used to produce each of the goods and services we use. It can be measured for a single process, such as growing rice, for a product, such as a pair of jeans, for the fuel we put in our cars, or for an entire multi-national company. The water footprint can also tell us how much water is being consumed by a particular country – or globally – in a specific river basin or from an aquifer.

So now that we have a better idea of all a water footprint encompasses, why do we need this information?  There are many reasons and situations a business, community, even an entire region of the country would want to know this, for instance:

•    Some companies are entirely dependent on water for their operation; having a solid idea of their water footprint provides this information and also serves as a benchmark should they take steps to reduce water consumption

•    Some communities are trying to reduce water use by regulating its consumption; knowing and then monitoring the communities water footprint gives it an idea of how well these regulations are being met

•    Aware of the water footprint of different crops can help determine what types of crops a farmer should grow. For instance, if one type of crop requires 1,000 gallons of water per day to grow per acre and another only 500 gallons, in a situation where the farmer is attempting to reduce his water footprint, growing the second crop would be the wiser choice.

Putting this in very practical terms, jeans manufacturer Levi Strauss says it requires 1,800 gallons of water to grow enough cotton to make a pair of jeans. Aware of this staggering amount, the company created a separate organization to find ways to reduce Levi Strauss’ water footprint. As a result, they have been able to reduce the amount of water necessary to make a pair of jeans by 18 percent.

We should also note, there are three types of water footprints, all designated by different colors.  These are:

Green water footprint is the amount of rainfall water necessary to make a product

Blue water footprint The amount of surface water and groundwater required to make a product

Grey water footprint is an indicator of the amount of freshwater pollution associated with the production of a product.

For more information on ways to reduce water consumption and use water more efficiently, contact a Waterless company representative at 800-244-6364