Glossary

Total water intake = water withdrawals

• The total amount of water extracted for use in an establishment or industry. The water may come from natural systems (lakes, rivers, groundwater) or from municipal or other sources.

Recirculated water = water recirculation or recycling

• Water that is used more than once, often for different processes. Recirculated water can also refer to water that leaves a particular process and then re-enters that same process, including water that is discharged to a cooling pond and is later re-used. Most water recycled by Canadian industries is for cooling and processing activities.
• Water recirculation and total water intake form the gross water use of an establishment.

Gross water use = water use

• The total amount of water used by an industrial establishment. It is the sum of total water intake and water recirculation.

Water consumption

• The water lost in the production process. In other words, consumed water is not returned to its original source.
• Water is consumed via evaporation (escaped steam in industry or evapotranspiration [see sidebar] in agriculture) or when it is incorporated into a product (e.g. in the production of soft drinks).

Water discharge = wastewater, effluent

• The water returned to the environment in liquid form, usually close to the point of use. Discharged water may be treated or untreated.
• An establishment’s total water intake is equal to the sum of its consumption and discharge.

MCM

• An abbreviation for million cubic metres.

Evapotranspiration is the loss of water from a land area through evaporation from the soil and through plant transpiration.

Transpiration is the process by which water, absorbed by plants (usually through the roots), is evaporated into the atmosphere from the plant’s surface (usually through the leaves).