Calculate the water footprint Water control and management has become one of the new challenges facing international agencies and national organizations. The goal is to reduce the environmental impact caused by society’s water consumption and achieve a more efficient use of this resource, but what role does the construction industry play in all of this?
Calculate Water Footprint
The The water footprint is an indicator of freshwater “fresh water” that is consumed both directly and indirectly by producers or consumers. It is a multidimensional indicator, since It calculates not only the volume of water, but also the pollution load resulting from the process and the source of the pollution.
There are three different types of water footprints:
- Green water footprint: Water incorporated into the product. This water is consumed and does not become runoff.
- Blue Water Footprint: Direct consumption for the production of a product that yields a return. Non-consumptive use; it becomes runoff carrying pollutants.
- Grey water footprint: The volume of water required to absorb a given load of pollutants in water returned to the environment, with the goal of restoring natural concentrations.
Based on a study by the Autonomous University of Madrid, which analyzes the water footprint (WF) based on the materials used in the construction of a building, it was determined that Each square meter of residential construction generates a blue water footprint of 5 m3.
The study covers 15,428.85 m² and provides the following data.
- The blue HH consumes between 4.6 and 5.7 m³ per square meter of floor area
- The blue HH, along with the green one (made from wood), consumes about 23 m³.
- In total, if the gray water footprint is included, that would amount to 227 m³ of water for every m² consumed.
The Water Footprint in Construction
Societal awareness, as reflected in international regulations, suggests that change was looking for a more eco-friendly way to build It will become a necessary step. In 2010, with the 20-20-20 target, a European agreement was reached calling for a 20% reduction in primary energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, and for a 20% increase in the use of renewable energy to improve energy efficiency in buildings by 2020.
In 2014, the ISO standard (ISO/WD 14046.3) was published, specifying the conditions for the water footprint and its relationship to the life cycles of water-related assets. Currently, several supporting standards are in draft form that aim to and emphasize the achievement of a sustainable water use.
Industry, as the third-largest consumer of this resource and due to the high level of pollution generated by its processes, plays a key role. Companies are seeking to adapt to new legal and market requirements to make their construction processes as environmentally friendly as possible for several reasons.
- It improves the company's image among customers as “eco-friendly.”.
- Reduce the costs of products resulting from the processes.
- Tighter regulations and rising costs associated with tariffs.
- Demand for sustainable construction.
Sustainable Construction
The sustainable construction, both operational and related to the creation of the final product, aims to efficient use of material resources and energy that reduce the environmental impact on nature, such as the increasingly common use of sustainable concrete. There are three ways to achieve this.
Corporate Planning
- Development of corporate regulations and policies aimed at controlling and reducing consumption.
- Implement indicators and monitoring procedures in production systems.
- Self-assessment and adjustments to processes based on the results.
- Research and development of less polluting production systems
Execution and Processes
- Use of materials that require less water incorporated into the product or less water consumed or contaminated during the processing of raw materials.
- Adopt a working method that calculates and takes into account the impact of consumption—both quantitatively and qualitatively—based on water footprint indicators.
Product
Not only the way it is built, but the structure itself must allow for a sustainable use of resources. For example, the construction of sustainable buildings, such as “Passivhaus» or “BREEAM” buildings, which require less energy and fewer resources to support our daily lives.
If one thing is clear, it is that the trend toward sustainable consumption has taken hold and appears to be on the rise. Stricter regulations and growing demand for sustainability are having a significant impact on the construction industry, and as a result, professionals in the sector must address the new challenges posed by green building. Efficient water use will play a key role, so calculate the water footprint It can be of vital importance.
