Chapter 17. Industrial Water Use: Our Invisible Water Footprints
Abandoned power plant, Mill River, New Haven, Connecticut. Power plants are generally located along rivers or other waterways and can pose significant water quantity and quality risks.
This chapter explores the water quantity and quality impacts of industry, with a focus on energy, manufacturing, and mining; we also discuss the recent interest in “water stewardship” on the part of large corporations. We address questions such as these:
- How much water is used in the energy, manufacturing, and mining sectors?
- How do various industrial activities affect water quality?
- What laws are used in the US to control chemical production, disposal, and cleanup?
- How can corporations be better water stewards?
A slideshow based on Chapter 17 (including all the figures and tables in the chapter) is available here and below.