The Carbon Footprint Of Water

By Bevan Griffiths-Sattenspiel and Wendy Wilson, River Network

Climate change and other stresses are limiting the availability of clean water and cheap energy. A large amount of energy is expended to supply, treat and use water, meaning that water-oriented strategies can result in significant reductions in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. This report explores the energy and carbon emissions embedded in the nation's water supplies.

“We estimate that U.S. water-related energy use is atleast 521 million MWh a year— equivalent to 13% of the nation’s electricity consumption.”

Most significantly, the carbon footprint of our water use is likely growing for several reasons. Climate
change is predicted to have numerous adverse affects on freshwater resources, rendering many
available water supplies far less reliable. With water demand growing and many local, low-energy
supplies already tapped, water providers are increasingly looking to more remote or alternative water
sources that often carry a far greater energy and carbon cost than existing supplies.

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