News, Articles and Interviews

News briefs and articles about water footprints, water use and availability, as well as interviews with key people in the fields of water footprints and water use.

Virtual Water in Food: Five Foods That Move Water Around the World

March 22, 2022

Virtual water in food is necessary for productive, sustainable food supplies. What happens when water is scarce because of drought and overuse or misuse? Virtual water in food is an essential part of agriculture.  Virtual water in food is part of the “hidden” water in the products, services and processes people buy and use every […]

It’s National Fix a Leak Week

March 15, 2022

It is national Fix a Leak Week in the United States. This EPA-initiated event happens every year around World Water Day, March 22. Do you think water leaks are no big deal? Think again, since the EPA estimates that every year in the US one trillion gallons of treated water goes to waste from leaks. […]

Food and Water: Why Some Foods Have Larger Water Footprints Than Others

March 10, 2022

Food and water are closely connected. The Water Footprint of Food Guide helps users figure out how much water their food uses and why. Food and water are closely connected. The Water Footprint of Food Guide shines a light on just how much water it takes to make some of the most common foods you […]

Online Tools Reveal the Water Footprint of Food

March 7, 2022

Online Tools Show How Water and Food Are Bound Together Online Tools Help Teach About the Connections Between Water and Food Online tools help educators teach complex topics. To illuminate the complex and vital connection between water and food, the Water Footprint Calculator project created the Water Footprint of Food Guide and the Water Footprint […]

Learning to Tread Lightly: Water Footprint Education and Water Risk

February 23, 2022

Learning about water footprints can be an important, if overlooked, first step in managing water risk for the public. Originally published in Water Resources IMPACT Magazine’s January/February 2022 edition. Water risk is at the forefront of contemporary environmental concerns—but it can also have far-reaching socioeconomic impacts. Just look at the past year: economists are still […]

US Electricity Generation Changes Have Meant a Drop in Water Use

January 27, 2022

US Electricity Generation is Changing its Fuel Sources, and Water Use Continues to Drop Over Time US electricity generation—or the way electricity is produced—has changed considerably in recent decades. One major power sector change is the reduction of water withdrawals for power plant cooling, according to newly released US Energy Information Agency (EIA) data. Water […]

Data Center Cooling and Water Stewardship

December 10, 2021

Data center cooling uses a lot of water, but the industry is beginning to use water more sustainably through various actions. Data center cooling takes a lot of water, which is problematic, especially when areas where data centers are located experience water scarcity issues. Some companies are taking steps to improve their water stewardship and […]

Ultra-Processed Food Has Significant Environmental Implications

November 16, 2021

Ultra-processed food has significant environmental implications for Brazil, including an increased national water footprint. Ultra-Processed Food Consumption Has Ecological Implications in Brazil A new study about ultra-processed food in Brazil found that, in addition to health consequences from increased consumption of foods like sausages, prepared meals, margarine, sweets and soft drinks, etc., there are significant […]

Food industry is unprepared for future freshwater shortages, report finds

November 3, 2021

The food industry uses a lot of water, but many food production companies are unprepared for water shortages brought about by climate change, drought and over use. The food industry uses a lot of water. According to the FAO, “Agriculture, and especially irrigated agriculture, is the sector with by far the largest consumptive water use […]