Waterprint

An app that demonstrates how much water is used to produce common items.
The Waterprint app, available on iTunes, educates users about the amount of water used to make products from coffee to jeans. The concept of a “waterprint” is similar to a carbon footprint. It reflects both the direct and indirect water used in production – and the amount used to create some items is staggering. For example, the app indicates that it takes 30 gallons of water to make a single cup of coffee. This includes all the water used in cultivating the beans, in production and in distribution.

The app is simple to use and offers users four categories of items to explore: household products, beverages, food and other products like paint and paper. The app provides information about each item and some suggestions for how to reduce water usage.

Waterprint was created by Forester Media and is part of the Water Footprint Network. Forester Media publishes Water Efficiency, The Journal for Water Resource Management. The water usage data comes from a number of sources including the Water Footprint Network, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Price: Free