Water Per Unit Produced Calculator

Work out water per unit produced instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Water Per Unit Produced Calculator

Water intensity is litres consumed per unit produced. Recycling reduces fresh abstraction without reducing process use, so both figures should be reported: total use shows process efficiency, fresh abstraction shows the environmental and cost footprint that regulators and water charges follow.

Formulas

Water intensity

Litres per unit = water consumed (m3) x 1000 / units produced

Fresh abstraction

Fresh water = total water x (1 - recycled share)

Worked example

With the default values below, Water Per Unit Produced Calculator returns Water Per Unit of 75.0000. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Water Consumedminimum 0 m3: 18,000 m3
Units Producedminimum 0.01: 240,000
Water And Effluent Costminimum 0 per m3: 85 per m3
Recycled Water Shareaccepts 0–100 %: 25 %

Results

Water Per Unit: 75.0000
Fresh Water Abstracted: 13,500.00
Water Cost Per Unit: $4.78125
Recycled Volume: 4,500.00

Step by step

1Values used
2Water intensity
3Fresh abstraction
4Water Per Unit= 75.0000
5Fresh Water Abstracted= 13,500.00
6Water Cost Per Unit= 4.78125
7Recycled Volume= 4,500.00

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 5 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
Water abstraction and effluent discharge are usually subject to permits and volumetric limits. Verify consented volumes before changing water balance.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Water abstraction and effluent discharge are usually subject to permits and volumetric limits. Verify consented volumes before changing water balance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which measure should be targeted?

Both, in order: reduce process demand first, then recycle what remains. Recycling a wasteful process locks in the waste and adds treatment cost.

Does water cost justify recycling on its own?

Often not on tariff alone, but adding effluent discharge charges, treatment cost, abstraction limits and supply risk usually changes the answer, particularly in water-stressed regions.