THE UTILIZATION OF WATER FOOTPRINT TO ENHANCE THE WATER SAVING AWARENESS: CASE STUDY OF A CERAMIC PRODUCT

Abstract

One of the methods to increase the water saving awareness is the water footprint which is based
on the calculation of water usage incurred during the whole life cycle of a product. The case study in this
research is the water footprint computation of a ceramic product, a jug. The life cycle of a ceramic jug was
studied by focusing on the stage of cradle to gate, resource extraction and manufacturing. The calculation of
water footprint is based on the ISO 14046: 2014 guidelines. Another objective of this research is to verify that
the water footprint can be utilized effectively as a tool to enhance the awareness and the perception of the
ceramic business related personnel towards the water saving issue. According to the research results, the paired
t-test statistics were utilized to test the difference in the awareness level before and after introducing the water
footprint concept to the business owners. The results indicate that the awareness is significantly built up after the
application of water footprint education. This will lead to the sustainable use of water in the ceramic business.