Water footprint calculator

Welcome to this service for estimating your water footprint!

We will ask you to provide information about you and your household. Once you have filled in the information in the calculator, you can compare your water consumption to the average water footprint of Finnish people. We will also give you handy tips for reducing your consumption.

 

Vesijalanjalanjälki, peseytyminen kuvituskuva

Basic information

Household size

Firstly, we would like you to tell us the size of your household:
persons.

Please note! When we ask for consumption figures describing your household, your response should include the total volume used by all household members. We will automatically divide the volumes you enter by the number of persons.

You will see an information button at the end of some questions. Click on this button to access further information about what is included in the consumption volume in question.

Vesijalanjalanjälki, peseytyminen kuvituskuva

Household water consumption 1/5:

Personal hygiene

How often do you have a shower?
times a week..
For how long do you let the water run when you have a shower?

Vesijalanjalanjälki, ruoanlaitto kuvituskuva

Household water consumption 2/5:

Cooking

How often do you cook at home?
times a week..

Vesijalanjalanjälki, astioiden pesu kuvituskuva

Household water consumption 3/5:

Washing up

How often do you turn on the dishwasher?
times a week.
How often do you wash up by hand?
times a week.

Vesijalanjalanjälki, Pyykinpesu kuvituskuva

Household water consumption 4/5:

Washing clothes

How often do you turn on the washing machine?
times a week.

Vesijalanjalanjälki, Muu vedenkäyttö kuvituskuva

Household water consumption 5/5:

Other water consumption

What else do you use water for?

litres a week.

Add a new water use

Vesijalanjalanjälki, kuvituskuva

You are half way there!

Based on your responses, we estimate that your personal water consumption is approx

However, the water you use at home is only a small share of your personal water footprint. The figure above will also change if you include the other members of your household in it. To obtain a more accurate idea of your water footprint, respond to the following questions. You will also find out about the volume of water included in foodstuffs you buy, other items you purchase and the electricity you use. This water consumption is called hidden, or virtual, water.

How do you think your water consumption compares to the water use of other Finnish people? Keep going and you will find out.

Vesijalanjalanjälki, Muu Elintarvikkeet kuvituskuva

Hidden water consumption 1/6:

Foodstuffs

How much does your household spend on food and drinks every week?
EUR a week.
Do you use the following product groups?
If you would like a more accurate estimate, you can alternatively also give more exact figures for your consumption by product group.

You can enter your consumption either as EUR or kilograms

Bread and cereal products
EUR a week
kg a week
Meat
EUR a week
kg a week
Fish
EUR a week
kg a week
Dairy products
EUR a week
kg a week
Eggs
EUR a week
kg a week
Margarins and other fats
EUR a week
Other cooking oils
EUR a week
Fruit and berries
EUR a week
kg a week
Vegetables
EUR a week
kg a week
Potatoes
EUR a week
kg a week
Sugar, honey and jams
EUR a week
kg a week
Sweets and chocolate
EUR a week
kg a week
Ice cream
EUR a week
kg a week
Other foods
EUR a week
kg a week
Non-alcoholic drinks
EUR a week
litres a week

Vesijalanjalanjälki, Pukeutuminen kuvituskuva

Hidden water consumption 2/6:

Clothing

How much money do you spend on new clothes and footwear for yourself?
EUR a month.
How much money do you spend on second-hand clothes and footwear for yourself?
EUR a month.

Vesijalanjalanjälki, Pukeutuminen kuvituskuva

Hidden water consumption 3/6:

Household goods

How much money does your household spend on household goods and accessories a year??
Home electronics
New EUR
Second hand EUR
Books and magazines
New   EUR
Second hand   EUR
Home textiles
New   EUR
Second hand   EUR
Furniture
New   EUR
Second hand   EUR
Other purchases for the home
New   EUR
Second hand   EUR

Vesijalanjalanjälki, Liikkuminen kuvituskuva

Hidden water consumption 4/6:

Mobility

How many kilometres do you travel by car a week?
km a week.
How much money do you spend on public transport a month?
EUR a month.

Vesijalanjalanjälki, Kulttuuri ja vapaa-aika kuvituskuva

Hidden water consumption 5/6:

Culture and leisure time

How much money does your household spend on the following a month?
Restaurants   EUR
Hotels or other accommodation services   EUR
Cultural, sports and other leisure services   EUR
Travel for leisure   EUR

Vesijalanjalanjälki, peseytyminen kuvituskuva

Hidden water consumption 6/6:

Housing

How much electricity does your household consume a month?
Give your answer either in euros or kilowatt-hours
EUR a month
kWh a month
Form of housing?
Flat/house floor area?
m2.

To conclude with, please give us some background information about yourself.

Vesijalanjalanjälki, kuvituskuva

What age are you?
Your gender?
Where do you live?

We will only use the information you provided for compiling statistics on water consumption. They will not be linked to you as a person in any way.

Privacy statement of the service

You have reached the finishing line!

We have now estimated both your direct water consumption at home and your hidden water use.

Calculator background information

You can use this calculator developed by the Finnish Environment Institute to work out your water footprint. The calculator can be used to examine what your water consumption consists of and estimate which share of it is direct water use and which is included in the products and services you buy. Direct water use means your water consumption at home. It consists of cooking, drinking water, washing dishes and clothes, personal hygiene as well as flushing the toilet. It also includes other water consumption at home, such as water used for cleaning, pet care or gardening as well as washing vehicles. The volume of water used for different household activities each time is based on existing water consumption studies.

The calculations of hidden water consumption, on the other hand, are based on a model known as ENVIMAT. ENVIMAT is a so-called environmentally extended input-output model that describes the relationships between natural resources use, consumption and production. The model’s input information comprises the quantities of raw materials, intermediate products, energy, transport, service use etc. that were needed to manufacture the end products. As a result, the model gives the water footprints of products: information about how much water from different sources was used to manufacture products over their entire life cycle.

Detailed and accurate data on water consumption in different production sectors in Finland, including agriculture, fisheries, the mining industry, manufacturing and the service sector, have been used in the water footprint calculator. Manufacturing includes all sectors that manufacture products, including industries producing equipment. Calculations as accurate as this cannot yet be made for imported products, which is why international datasets are used for them.