Environment & Resources
Water: Net Use
IntentWater has become an increasingly valuable commodity across the globe. Increased water demand from growing populations, skyrocketing consumption of food and goods and changing ecological factors such as global warming have exceeded the capacity of water systems to sustainably provide water and damage existing aquatic ecosystems. Conservation methods are available that limit the use of water, recycle existing water through closed-loop systems, or collect water from a sustainable source. This category evaluates and rewards products and product systems that minimize or eliminate the use of water, especially from surface water systems, and the collection and use of water from precipitation or runoff across the entire life-cycle of the product.
IdealWater collected and captured from sustainable sources results in a net positive generation of water through the extraction and processing of raw materials, manufacture and use of the product and the ultimate disposal of the product at end-of-life.
Key MetricsQuantity of water consumed/produced during each life-cycle stage of the product or product system, water conservation methods used and closed-loop systems.
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