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A litre of water is just that. A litre of milk or orange juice contains other nutrients. But milk and juice take a lot more water to grow the grass or produce the fruit, as well as more water to rinse the processing machinery, and even more water to build the factories. So it goes on.

It is said to take an extra half to one litre of actual water* to produce one litre of bottled water, and another seven to 7½ litres of embedded water or virtual water for the processing, packaging and transport – adding up to nine litres in all.

A fascinating new study from WWF shows that the average British citizen uses an amazing 4,645 litres of virtual water per day. Some of this is in clothing. Almost two thirds is in products sourced from other countries.

Yet, the amount of actual water we use in a day is 150 litres, mainly through washing and toilets. Of that, we drink just 1.1 litres from taps.

Even if we drank our full daily requirement of two litres a day from bottles and multiply that by nine, it’s a mere 0.4% of our virtual water use. It would probably also be the most important 0.4%. To me, this puts the whole debate about water into perspective. Here’s a tiny, healthy amount doing massive good, yet some people are intent on condemning it.

I’ve read many other intriguing articles about water footprints. Here are some of the more extraordinary comparisons (1):

1. Leather shoes (one pair) = 8,000 litres

2. Beef (4oz serving) = 1,500 litres

3. Milk (200ml) = 200 litres

4. Orange juice (200ml) = 170 litres

5. Coffee (140ml) = 150 litres

6. Egg (40g) = 135 litres

7. Wine (125ml) = 120 litres

8. Beer (250ml) = 75 litres

9. Bottled water (200ml) = 2 litres.

Shouldn’t we all be more virtuous with the actuality?

(1) 0.81 litres for Nestlé: The Nestlé Creating Shared Value Report, March 2008; Bottled Water Reporter, February/March 2008