Why water footprints are an essential tool for tackling Earth Overshoot Day

Every year, Earth Overshoot Day is a wake-up call for us to change our behavior. The date, which fell on July 28 this year, is the moment when we officially overconsume the planet’s natural resources for the year. From that moment on, our way of life is no longer sustainable and, if we don’t take action, we risk living in a world where essential resources like water become more and more scarce. That’s why tools like the water footprint are crucial to make us aware of how much water we use – and how we can reduce it.

Think of your water use and you probably think of everyday activities like washing, cooking and drinking. But our consumption of water is much wider-reaching than that. Nearly everything we do involves water as some point, and this so-called “invisible” water is often ignored.

Have you ever thought how much water is required to manufacture the products you use in your daily life? How much water is needed to grow the food you eat at mealtimes? Or how many liters of water are consumed to generate the electricity you use? To take all those factors into account, you need to look at your water footprint.

Understanding your impact

Created by UNESCO, a water footprint accounts for the full impact of the activities undertaken by a person or an organization on global fresh water resources. In other words, it’s a way to measure how much water you use both directly and indirectly as a result of your actions.

A water footprint can be used in many different ways. It can measure the quantity of water needed for a process (e.g.: growing a field of crops) or a product (manufacturing a shirt), or it may show the overall water usage of a household, a company or a country. Depending on how it is used, a water footprint may be expressed in cubic metres per tonne of production, per hectare of cropland, per unit of currency, or in many other ways.

Using the footprint

Calculating a water footprint is an essential first step towards improving the way water resources are consumed. For companies, the water footprint can help to answer a range of questions and challenges.

For example, a detailed water footprint can reveal where your operations are most reliant on water. You’ll be able to understand how your actions impact your water consumption. You’ll be able to measure your progress in reducing water waste. And you’ll get an insight into how water can affect your energy security.

While the water footprint is a crucial indicator of where you are using and overconsuming water, it is important to look at where that water comes from and when it is taken. If you are using water that is already scarce, the consequences can be disastrous for local communities and the environment. In such areas, even relatively small water savings can make a big difference.

Quantifying water usage

Like the carbon footprint, the water footprint is only meaningful if it is accurately measured and evaluated. At Diehl Metering, precisely measuring water consumption is at the heart of what we do. Smart water meters such as our HYDRUS 2.0 record exactly how much water is being used in a water distribution network.

Our job is to help our customers measure their water and energy consumption – and then find ways to make those processes more efficient. It’s something we can all do on a personal level by being more aware of our individual impact on the earth’s resources.

One of the best starting points is to calculate your personal water footprint .

The tool, provided by the Water Footprint Network, makes you realize how simple actions can have a big impact on water resources.

Being aware of where you use water is a first step towards changing your behavior. And if we all take this simple action, we can collectively help to replenish our planet’s natural resources and move back Earth Overshoot Day.