Blue Water

Blue water refers to freshwater stored in and withdrawn from surface water and groundwater sources, including rivers, lakes, reservoirs and aquifers. In water footprint assessments, blue water use generally measures the volume of these resources consumed by human activities and not returned to the same water body in the same period. This can include water incorporated into products, evaporated during irrigation or industrial processes, or transferred elsewhere. In agriculture and livestock production, blue water is used for irrigating feed crops, supplying drinking water to animals and supporting processing and cleaning operations. Its environmental impact depends strongly on local water availability and the level of water stress in the watershed.