Water Footprint Analysis

What is a Water Footprint Analysis?

The water footprint is defined as the amount of water used to produce each of the goods and services. It is a measure of humanity’s appropriation of fresh water in terms of water consumed or polluted. It can be measured by process, product, organization, or even by an entire nation.

The units of an organization’s water footprint are usually reported in m³ or m³ per economic, productive, or time unit. Generally, total water consumption and pollution are seen as the sum of independent activities. Performing the water footprint analysis allows you to visualize the total water consumption and pollution that is associated with a production process.

In addition, in today’s highly globalized context, the extraction, uses, and discharges of water are often spatially disconnected at different stages of the process, so this calculation allows for a better measurement of the effects of a producer’s or consumer’s activities on water reserves.

The water footprint is analyzed in terms of direct or indirect use, according to the blue, grey, and green water footprint components:

Blue Footprint

Water withdrawn from reservoirs for human activities and that evaporates, is incorporated into a product, or is discharged at a different place or time of extraction.

Green Footprint

Water that falls in the form of precipitation that is not incorporated into any body of water, is stored on the surface of the earth or plants and is used for crops.

Grey Footprint

Volume of fresh water needed to assimilate contaminants, until its concentration meets specific water quality standards.