Calculate your daily and annual water consumption based on direct use and diet.
Meat Lover (High meat consumption)
Average (Mixed diet)
Vegetarian (No meat)
Vegan (Plant-based only)
0 Liters
Your annual footprint: 0 Liters per year.
What is a Water Footprint?
A water footprint measures the total volume of freshwater used to produce the goods and services consumed by an individual. It includes Direct Use, like the water that comes out of your tap for showering or drinking, and Indirect Use (also known as Virtual Water), which is the water used to grow your food and manufacture your clothing and electronics.
How This Calculation Works
Our calculator combines the two major contributors to your footprint:
Direct Usage: We calculate this using standard flow rates (approx. 9 liters/min for showers, 6 liters per flush, and 15-70 liters for appliances).
Indirect Usage (Diet): Agriculture accounts for nearly 70% of global freshwater use. Producing 1kg of beef requires roughly 15,000 liters of water, whereas vegetables require significantly less.
Example Calculation:
If you take a 10-minute shower (90L), flush the toilet 5 times (30L), leave the tap running for 5 minutes (30L), and follow an average diet (3,000L virtual water), your daily footprint is approximately 3,150 Liters.
3 Ways to Reduce Your Water Footprint
Adopt a Meat-Free Day: Reducing meat intake is the single most effective way to lower your virtual water consumption.
Install Low-Flow Fixtures: High-efficiency showerheads can reduce direct water use by up to 50% without sacrificing pressure.
Full Loads Only: Only run your dishwasher or washing machine when they are completely full to maximize water efficiency per item.
function calculateWaterFootprint() {
var showerTime = parseFloat(document.getElementById("showerTime").value) || 0;
var toiletFlushes = parseFloat(document.getElementById("toiletFlushes").value) || 0;
var dishwasherLoads = parseFloat(document.getElementById("dishwasherLoads").value) || 0;
var laundryLoads = parseFloat(document.getElementById("laundryLoads").value) || 0;
var dietWater = parseFloat(document.getElementById("dietType").value) || 0;
var tapRunning = parseFloat(document.getElementById("tapRunning").value) || 0;
// Constants for calculation (Liters)
var showerRate = 9; // Liters per minute
var flushRate = 6; // Liters per flush
var tapRate = 6; // Liters per minute
var dishwasherRate = 15; // Per load
var laundryRate = 70; // Per load
// Daily Direct Use
var dailyShower = showerTime * showerRate;
var dailyFlushes = toiletFlushes * flushRate;
var dailyTap = tapRunning * tapRate;
var dailyAppliances = ((dishwasherLoads * dishwasherRate) + (laundryLoads * laundryRate)) / 7;
var directTotal = dailyShower + dailyFlushes + dailyTap + dailyAppliances;
// Grand Total (Direct + Virtual Diet Water)
var totalDailyLiters = directTotal + dietWater;
var totalAnnualLiters = totalDailyLiters * 365;
// Format numbers
var formattedDaily = totalDailyLiters.toLocaleString(undefined, {maximumFractionDigits: 0});
var formattedAnnual = totalAnnualLiters.toLocaleString(undefined, {maximumFractionDigits: 0});
// Display Results
document.getElementById("water-calc-result").style.display = "block";
document.getElementById("dailyTotal").innerHTML = formattedDaily + " Liters Per Day";
document.getElementById("annualTotal").innerHTML = "Your total annual water footprint is approximately " + formattedAnnual + " Liters.";
// Logic for comparison text
var comparison = "";
if (totalDailyLiters < 2500) {
comparison = "Great job! Your footprint is significantly lower than the global average for industrialized nations.";
} else if (totalDailyLiters < 4500) {
comparison = "You are within the average range. Consider reducing meat consumption or shortening showers to improve.";
} else {
comparison = "Your water footprint is high. Most of this likely comes from dietary choices or heavy direct usage.";
}
document.getElementById("comparisonText").innerHTML = comparison;
// Scroll to result
document.getElementById("water-calc-result").scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth', block: 'nearest' });
}