Journal Articles

Water Use Intensities and the Composition of Production in Canada

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The Government of Canada has endorsed a policy to promote water conservation in an attempt to reduce environmental impacts of water use. Nonetheless, total water intake, consumption, and gross water use in the business sector have increased in the period 1981–1996. Water intake intensities, measured in cubic meters of intake water per dollar of production, however, have fallen by 4%. To better understand these changes in intensities, we decompose them into separate composition and technique effects. We show that changes in the composition of business activity have lead to an expansion of water intensive industries. However, changes in techniques and production processes have more than offset this. Overall, water intake intensities have fallen by 7%, after accounting for changes in the relative growth of sectors. These reductions are even stronger when we include recirculated water where technological and process changes have reduced gross water intensities by 18%. At the same time, though, firms have increased their consumption of water so that, on average, consumption intensities rose 17%. Hence, firm level changes in techniques and processes may have increased the impact of economic activity on the environment rather than having reduced it.

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Detail Information

Series Title

Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management

Call Number

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Publisher

United States : American Society of Civil Engineers., 2010

Collation

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Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

07339496

Classification

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Content Type

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Media Type

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Carrier Type

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Edition

Volume 136, Issue 1, January/February 2010. pp. 72

Subject(s)

Canada
Water reclamation
Decomposition
Water use
Water discharge
Industrial water

Specific Detail Info

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