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Intermediate · 3 min

Withdrawn water and consumed water differ

Water withdrawal is water taken from a source. Water consumption includes water that evaporates, becomes incorporated into products or crops, or is otherwise unavailable for immediate reuse. Two uses with equal withdrawals can therefore have different effects on availability. Return location, timing, and quality also matter. State the accounting definition and geographic boundary before comparing totals.

Practice

Why can equal water withdrawals have different local effects?