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Water Resources in Life‐Cycle Impact Assessment: Considerations in Choosing Category Indicators

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  • J. W. Owens

Abstract

Water is one of many resources, wastes, and pollutants considered in life‐cycle assessment (LCA). The widely used indicator for water resources, the total input of water used, is not adequate to assess water resources from a sustainability perspective. More detailed indicators are proposed for water resources in two areas essential to water sustainability: water quantity and water quality. The governing principles for a consideration of water quantity are that (1) the water sources or LCA inputs are renewable and sustainable and (2) the volume of water released or LCA outputs are returned to humans or ecosystems for further use downstream. The governing principle for a consideration of water quality is that the utility of the returned water is not impaired for either humans or ecosystems downstream. Water quantity indicators are defined for water use, consumption, and depletion to reveal the sustainable or nonsustainable nature of the sources. A flexible set of water quality indicators for various factors that may impair water quality are then discussed, including the LCA study choices, technical challenges, and trade‐offs involved with such indicators. Indicator selection from this set involves the underlying concern or endpoint represented by the indicator and the level and accuracy of decision‐making information that the indicator must provide. With significant differences in emissions among systems studied using LCA and different purposes of the LCA studies themselves, a single, default set of water quality indicators applicable to all systems studied with LCA is problematic. The proposed water quantity and quality indicators for LCA studies are also intended to be compatible with environmental management and reporting systems so that data needs are not duplicated and interpretation for one does not contradict or sow confusion for the other.

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  • J. W. Owens, 2001. "Water Resources in Life‐Cycle Impact Assessment: Considerations in Choosing Category Indicators," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 5(2), pages 37-54, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:inecol:v:5:y:2001:i:2:p:37-54
    DOI: 10.1162/10881980152830123
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    Cited by:

    1. Ling-Chin, J. & Heidrich, O. & Roskilly, A.P., 2016. "Life cycle assessment (LCA) – from analysing methodology development to introducing an LCA framework for marine photovoltaic (PV) systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 352-378.
    2. Mishra, Gouri S. & Glassley, William & Yeh, Sonia, 2010. "Analysis of Lifecycle Water Requirements of Energy & Transportation Fuels: Electricity from Geothermal Resources - Model Description," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt69s70164, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    3. Mishra, Gouri S. & Yeh, Sonia, 2010. "Analysis of Lifecycle Water Requirements of Transportation Fuels: Corn-based Ethanol - Model Description," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt4gg2g2s6, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    4. Zongyong Zhang & Junguo Liu & Bofeng Cai & Yuli Shan & Heran Zheng & Xian Li & Xukun Li & Dabo Guan, 2020. "City‐level water withdrawal in China: Accounting methodology and applications," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 24(5), pages 951-964, October.
    5. Madhu Sachidananda & D. Patrick Webb & Shahin Rahimifard, 2016. "A Concept of Water Usage Efficiency to Support Water Reduction in Manufacturing Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(12), pages 1-15, November.

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