Similar to carbon footprint, water footprint is the amount of freshwater consumed by individuals, communities, or companies. A water footprint is measured by dividing the amount of water used during a period of time by the amount that became polluted. A green water footprint denotes water from precipitation that is stored in the root zone of the soil and evaporated, transpired, or incorporated by plants. A blue water footprint is water sourced from a surface or groundwater resource and is either used in a product or taken from one body of water and returned to another. A grey water footprint is the amount of freshwater required to assimilate pollutants to meet specific water quality standards.

Source: The Hindu November 14, 2021 17:35 UTC