A comprehensive study released by Carnegie Mellon University and published a few months ago in  Environmental Science & Technology finds that much of the water consumed in private industry today is “hidden” because it is not used directly.

For instance, the study found that it takes about 270 gallons of water to produce a dollar’s worth of sugar; 140 gallons to process a dollar's worth of milk; and 200 gallons of water to make a buck’s worth of cat and dog food.

However, the water is used indirectly, according to the researchers, in the processing and packaging of products as well as the shipping of food crops. An example of direct use of water would be watering crops and vegetation.

The goal of the study was to determine which industry sectors use the most water and where it can be used more efficiently and sustainably.

The researchers discovered that indirect or hidden use of water exceeded direct use in as much as 96 percent of the industry sectors examined.

The study could only track water withdrawal—water pumped to a facility, processing center, or manufacturing site from a local water department—and not if the water used was later recycled, reused, or simply drained into the local sewer system.

Studies like this are helpful and important because we are hearing more and more calls for effective water management. Millions of gallons of water are wasted each year unnecessarily, which could have social consequences as well as impact our fragile ecosystems.

 

Klaus Reichardt

Founder and CEO of Waterless Co