Name: Natalie Andrea Garcia Berdeja

Date: June 13th, 2014

VIRTUAL WATER AND WATER FOOTPRINT

1. Introduction
We already know that human activities consume and pollute a lot of water. At a global scale,
most of the water use occurs in agricultural production, but there are also substantial water
volumes consumed and polluted in the industrial and domestic sectors. Water consumption
and pollution can be associated with specific activities, such as irrigation, bathing, washing,
cleaning, cooling and processing, total water consumption and pollution are generally
regarded as the sum of this activities. There has been little attention paid to the fact that
total water consumption and pollution relate to what and how much communities consume,
besides of the global economy that supplies the various consumer goods and services. As a
result, there is little awareness regarding the fact that the characteristics of a production and
supply chain strongly influence the volumes (and temporal and spatial distribution) of water
consumption and pollution that can be associated with a final consumer product. Freshwater
is increasingly becoming a global resource which we have to administrate well, this means
that we have to pay special attention to all the economic activities and mitigate the ones that
cause negative impact to the environment related to freshwater. We need to improve our
knowledge about water consumption in order to make a better management of the worlds
freshwater resources.
2. Objectives
General Objective
Raise awareness to the class about the importance of saving water

Specific objectives
Introduce the meaning of the terms of virtual water and water footprint
Raise awareness of the importance of reducing personal water footprint
Give some tips to reduce personal water footprint

3. Project

Definition of Virtual Water

Virtual water is the amount of water that is embedded in food or other products needed
for its production, is the total volume of freshwater used to produce a food product or
another kind of products like clothing. Pay special attention to the fact that I said "fresh"
water, because 97% of the earth is water, but only 3% is fresh water, the worst is that
less than 1% of water is available to us ( found in lakes, rivers and glaciers), this means

Virtual Water and Water Footprint

we cannot so easily get fresh water. We have to think even in water that is wasted in the
food we do not eat. In addition to economic waste, throwing food is a terrible waste of
water needed to produce it. Think about all the fruits and vegetables that are not even
harvested from the fields, as they are a little damaged by rain and hail that causes
putrefaction and because of this never hit the stores.

Virtual Water of main products

Here are some of the quantities of virtual water hidden behind:

-

1 hamburger: about 2,500 liters of water

1 liter of milk: about 1,000 liters of water
1 liter of apple juice: about 950 liters of water
1 glass of orange juice (200ml): about 190 liters of water
1 glass of wine (125ml): about 120 liters of water
1 glass of beer (125ml): about 75 liters of water
1 cup of tea (250ml): about 30 liters of water (for the necessary amount to produce a
tea bag)
1 cup of coffee (125ml, using 7 grams of coffee): about 150 liters of water (to produce
1kg of roasted coffee takes about 21,000 liters of water)
1 apple: about 70 liters of water
1kg of pulses: about 3,000 liters of water
1kg of rice: about 2,500 liters of water
1 kg of citrus fruits: about 2,000 liters of water
1kg of maize: about 1,700 liters of water
1kg of barley: about 1,200 liters of water
1kg of wheat: about 800 liters of water
1kg of potatoes: about 500 liters of water
1kg of beef: about 15,000 liters of water (considering an animal of 3 years: for 200kg
of meat 1,300 kg of grain and 7,200kg of hay are required to feed the animal, 24,000
liters of water for it to drink, and about 7,000 liters for cleaning)
1kg of pork: about 4,800 liters (estimate for a pig of 10 months)
1kg of chicken: about 3,700 liters (estimate for a chicken of 10 weeks)
1kg of bread: about 1,500 liters of water
1kg of beef: about 15,000 liters of water (considering an animal of 3 years: for 200kg
of meat 1,300 kg of grain and 7,200kg of hay are required to feed the animal, 24,000
liters of water for it to drink, and about 7,000 liters for cleaning)
1kg of pork: about 4,800 liters (estimate for a pig of 10 months)
1kg of chicken: about 3,700 liters (estimate for a chicken of 10 weeks)
1kg of bread: about 1,500 liters of water

Sources of water

There are three sources of Water:

GREEN WATER: This means rain water, natural cycle with low impact on the natural
environment. The precipitation on land that does not run off or recharge the groundwater but
is stored in the soil or temporarily stays on top of the soil or vegetation. Eventually, this part
of precipitation evaporates or transpires through plants. Green water can be become
productive for crop growth (although not all green water can be taken up by crops, because

Virtual Water and Water Footprint

there will always be evaporation from the soil and because not all periods of the year or
areas are suitable for crop growth).
BLUE WATER: This is the surface water (rivers and lakes) or from underground
(groundwater) used in the whole process cycle. It is the water used for the artificial irrigation
in agriculture. The use of blue water has a remarkable impact on the environment.
Therefore the main concern for the future of food processing businesses is to reduce the
consumption of blue water.
GREY WATER: Is the water necessary to dilute the polluting factors generated by
productive process.

Definition of Water Footprint

Water Footprint is the amount of water you use in your home, school or office during the
day. It also includes the water you use directly and the water needed to produce the food
you eat, the products you buy, the energy you consume and even the water you save when
you recycle, which is considered as Virtual Water. Water footprints can be calculated for
individuals, households, businesses and countries. The water footprint of an individual,
community or business is defined as the total volume of freshwater used to produce the
goods and services consumed by these. Water use is measured in terms of water volumes
consumed (evaporated or incorporated into a product) and/or polluted per unit of time. For
example cubic meters per year. The water footprint is also a geographically explicit
indicator, showing not only volumes of water use and pollution, but also the locations where
this consumption occurs.
There are three types of Water Footprint:
-

Blue water footprint: Volume of surface and groundwater consumed as a result of

the production of a good or service. This consumption refers to the volume of
freshwater used and then evaporated or incorporated into a product. It is the amount
of water abstracted from groundwater or surface water that does not return to the
catchment from which it was withdrawn.
Green water footprint: Volume of rainwater consumed during the production
process. This is particularly relevant for agricultural and forestry products (products
based on crops or wood), where it refers to the total rainwater evapotranspiration
(from fields and plantations) plus the water incorporated into the harvested crop or
wood.
Grey water footprint: The grey water footprint of a product is an indicator of
freshwater pollution that can be associated with the production of a product over its
full supply chain. It is defined as the volume of freshwater that is required to
assimilate the load of pollutants based on natural background concentrations and
existing ambient water quality standards. It is calculated as the volume of water that
is required to dilute pollutants to such an extent that the quality of the water remains
above quality standards.
The importance of saving water

Water is necessary for the sustenance of human life. However water is not a limitless
resource, particularly the fresh potable water which is the most necessary to human
survival, without conservation efforts, this vital supply of water could be exhausted.
Conservation of this resource carries economic benefits as well, as energy and

Virtual Water and Water Footprint

equipment are also conserved as a direct result of water preservation efforts. There are
many factors that can be affected by saving water:
Environmental Factors: The vast majority of life on Earth is directly tied to the
supply of water. Conservation protects the balance of life on Earth, which would
be in danger by a reduction in the water supply. Overuse of water threatens other
life forms which help sustain us.
Personal Cost: Water is not processed and delivered to your doorstep for free.
Every time you use water, your local utility charges you a fee. The greater the
demand for water, the greater the price you will be charged. By conserving water,
you will save money both in terms of the quantity used and the price per unit.
Energy Consumption: Over-consumption of water leads to the overconsumption of another non-renewable resource, energy. Water in your home
must be heated for a number of uses, such as cleaning and bathing, and this
takes energy. Additionally, your local water utility must use energy to process and
deliver water to your home, so the over-consumption of water requires more
energy out of the utility company as well.
Infrastructure and Technology Development: Conserving water reduces the
demands to create and maintain water treatment and delivery systems, such as
sewage plants and individual septic systems. Additionally, over-consumption of
water can overwhelm local treatment plants, resulting in some water being forced
through before being fully treated, and possibly creating health hazards.

Water Footprint in the world

The worlds population has surpassed seven billion, considering that in the last century in
all developed countries the consumption of water per person has also risen
dramatically (from two to ten times per person), what will become of fresh water reserves
in 50 or 100 years if we continue at this rate? The United Nations established that the
minimum amount of water a human being requires per day is 40 liters: actually we
consume much more if we take virtual water into consideration.

Picture 1. Uses of water in different human activities. https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/news/water- footprint-eudifferent-diets-9674

Virtual Water and Water Footprint

Picture 2. Blue, green and gray water footprint in the world. http://phys.org/news/2012-02-duo-worldwidefootprint-high-spatial.html

Thinking rationally about the large scale effects of using virtual water or having a
vegetarian diet (rather than meat eating) leads us to appreciate some fundamental
aspects indeed for a more sustainable management of water in the future. Most crops
around the world are grown using only the soil moisture provided by rainfall. When this
moisture is insufficient, farmers apply more water through irrigation. Some rain or
irrigation water evaporates without benefiting the plant, while some transpires through
the plant's tissues during photosynthesis and returns to the atmosphere. Water
transformed into vapor in either of these ways is not available for use again in that local
area, so in practical terms, it is lost or "consumed". In most river basins in the world, the
available water resources are partly used to produce goods that are exported from the
basin for consumption elsewhere.

Virtual Water and Water Footprint

Water Footprint and diet

While it is true that world population is increasing, the fresh water available to us on earth
remains the same. The food that costs most in terms of water consumption is meat, but if 7
billion people ate meat and meat alone and if we were to eat less meat than we do now, and
opt for a primarily vegetarian diet, what would the outcome be? You too can contribute to
wise water use with your dietary choices, for example by choosing one type of meat rather
than another, or better still, a healthy vegetarian diet as a base, choosing foods which
require less water to produce. Apart from being more careful with water and not wasting it,
we can also choose to buy local or national seasonal fruits and products, preferably organic,
or at the very least products from small scale rather than industrial scale producers.

Picture 3. Water in consumption of food per person. http://www.peer.eu/newsevents/detail/?tx_list_pi1%5Buid%5D=341

The picture 4 shows a study compares four different dietary scenarios. It takes the current
EU28 average diet (based on the period 1996-2005) as the reference scenario, and
compares this with a recommended healthy diet (based on the recommendations of the
Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Ernhrung), a vegetarian diet (which includes dairy products but
no meat or fish) and a combination of the latter two.

Virtual Water and Water Footprint

Picture 4. The EU28 WF cons regarding agricultural products for different diet scenarios.
https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/news/water-footprint-eu-different-diets-9674

Tips for reducing our Water Footprint

In order to reduce our Water Footprint, we should:

Check faucets and pipes for leaks

Dont use the toilet as an wastebasket
Check your toilets for leaks
Use your water meter to check for hidden water leaks
Put plastic bottles or a float booster in your toilet tank
Insulate your water pipes
Take shorter showers
Turn off the faucet after you wet your toothbrush
Use your clothes washer for only full loads
When washing dishes by hand, dont leave the water running for rinsing
Don't let the faucet running while you clean vegetables
Water your plants at night or when is cloudy
Water your lawn only when it needs it
Dont run the hose while washing your car
Use a broom, not a hose, to clean driveways and sidewalks
Eat variety of meals, not only beef.
Try to reuse some products made of plastic, glass or paper.
4. Conclusions

Water conservation is a big topic, but every little action helps, so we cannot think that what
we do doesn't matter. We all must make changes in our lifestyles in order to change the

Virtual Water and Water Footprint

course of our water and its quality. Water conservation needs to be a way of life, not just
something we think about once in a while. Water conservation means using our water wisely
and caring for it properly. Since each of us depends on water for life, it is our responsibility
to learn more about water conservation, virtual water, and water footprint and how we can
help keep our water pure and safe for generations to come, this is a job for every person
who just likes to have access to the life sustaining resource of water. We must all recognize
that water conservation really is our personal responsibility and not just leave it up to other
people.
Our water supply is finite, which means that we do not have an endless supply. We only
have the water that we have now. We must not pollute our water because it is the only water
we will ever have. Water is the foundation of food and life, this way saving water helps to
preserve our environment, it reduces the energy required to process and deliver water,
which helps in reducing pollution and in conserving fuel resources. Saving water means
having water available in the future even for recreational purposes. If we save water now,
we are helping to ensure a water supply adequate for future generations.
4. References
http://www.virtual-water.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5&Itemid=27
http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/home
http://www.zagsw.com/assets/htmldocuments/The%20Concept%20of%20Virtual%20Water%20B1406915.
PDF
http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/FIELD/Venice/pdf/special_events/bozza
_scheda_DOW04_1.0.pdf
http://eartheasy.com/live_water_saving.htm
http://wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/
http://www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/info/880/energyefficiency_advice_and_assessment/689/help_save_water
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/global-water-footprint/