From: Robin Blackstone, ENN
Published February 10, 2014 11:01 AM

Calculating your water footprint




But the water footprint of external goods and services, including food and daily consumables, is also an important consideration. Listed below are the aquatic production needs for various products as described in National Geographicâ€™s, "The Hidden Water We Use".


-1 gallon of milk requires 880 gallons of water.

-1 gallon of wine requires 1,008 gallons of water.

-1 gallon of coffee requires 880 gallons of water, approximately 32 trillion gallons of water annually.

-1 gallon of tea requires 128 gallons of water.

- 1 cup of orange juice requires 53 gallons of water.


-1 pound of wheat requires 132 gallons of water accounting for 12% of global water use.

-1 pound of rice requires 449 gallons of water.

-1 pound of corn requires 108 gallons of water.


-1 pound of beef requires 1,799 gallons of water.

-1 pound of goat requires 127 gallons of water.

-1 pound of pork requires 576 gallons of water.

-1 pound of chicken requires 468 gallons of water.


-1 cotton T-shirt requires 713 gallons of water.

-500 sheets of paper require 1,321 gallons of water.

 -1 pound of chocolate requires 3,170 gallons of water.

"Many countries have significantly externalized their water footprint, importing water-intensive goods from elsewhere. This puts pressure on the water resources in the exporting regions, where too often mechanisms for wise water governance and conservation are lacking." In the United States, approximately 750,248 cubic gallons per person annually or 20% is external.

As consumers we need to consider our water footprint and make more sustainable consumer choices. These may include a vegetarian diet, choosing soy instead of beef, drinking tap water instead of coffee, tea or orange juice or simply eating less wasteful meats like goat and reducing our clothing and paper consumption.

Water is a necessity and must be treated more carefully.

Read more at the Water Footprint Network and ENN affiliate Care2 Causes.

 Water footprint image via Shutterstock.

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