How much water goes into making Fido's food?

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have found that it takes 200 gallons to make $1 worth of dog or cat food. (Probably more to make the expensive brand my Coco and Charlie prefer.....)  It's part of a comprehensive study to document just how much water American industry uses.

Chris T. Hendrickson, the Duquesne Light Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, said that most of the use is indirect -- the result of processing, such as packaging and shipping of food crops to the supermarket -- rather than direct use, like watering crops.

The study also found it takes almost 270 gallons of water to produce $1 worth of sugar; 140 gallons to make $1 worth of milk.

"The study gives us a way to look at how we might use water more efficiently and allows us to hone in on the sectors that use the most water so we can start generating ideas and technologies for better management," said Hendrickson in a university press release.  The study is featured in the Feb. 23 edition of the journal Environmental Science & Technology. It reports that because the companies don't use all the water directly, a lot of water consumption is hidden.

For an advocacy look at water use -- and to calculate your personal water footprint -- the website of the Water Footprint Network is a good start.