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Water & Resource Efficiency in Materials

Water footprint, resource depletion, and how to specify responsibly

7 min readUpdated April 2026Sign in to save

Beyond carbon: why water and resources matter

Carbon has become the dominant metric for sustainable construction, and for good reason - climate change is an existential threat. But focusing exclusively on carbon misses other critical environmental impacts. Water scarcity, resource depletion, and ecosystem damage are all driven by material choices, and all are quantified in a full Life Cycle Assessment.

The construction industry consumes approximately 40% of global raw material resources and is a major consumer of fresh water. As water stress increases globally and resource scarcity drives price volatility, these factors will become as important to material specification as carbon is today.

EPDs already report water use and resource depletion alongside carbon. This guide explains what those numbers mean and how to use them in material selection.

Water use in material manufacturing

Different building materials require vastly different amounts of water to manufacture. Understanding where water is used helps identify opportunities for reduction.

Concrete & cement

Water used in mixing, curing, and dust suppression. Cement production also consumes significant energy.

Steel

Cooling water in blast furnaces and rolling mills. Water recycling rates vary by plant.

Brick & ceramics

Clay preparation and kiln cooling. Some manufacturers recirculate process water.

Glass

Batch preparation and float bath cooling. Relatively high water intensity.

Timber

Low manufacturing water use. Growth-phase water is rainfall, not abstracted.

Plasterboard

Stucco calcination and board forming. Some closed-loop water systems.

Note. Water use in EPDs is reported as 'net fresh water use' (FW) in cubic metres per declared unit. This measures the volume of fresh water consumed that is not returned to the same catchment. It excludes rainfall and recycled water within the process.

Water scarcity context

Not all water use is equal. The environmental impact of water consumption depends on where the water is extracted. A litre of water used in a water-abundant region has a fundamentally different impact from a litre used in a water-stressed region.

Water scarcity is increasingly relevant to UK construction because materials are sourced globally. The cement for your project might use UK water (relatively abundant), but the copper for the electrical installation might come from mining operations in Chile or Zambia where water stress is severe.

TopicDetail
Water stress mappingthe World Resources Institute's Aqueduct tool maps water stress globally. Use it to assess the water risk associated with materials sourced from water-stressed regions.
AWARE characterisation factorsthe Available WAter REmaining method weights water consumption by local scarcity. EPDs using the EN 15804:2019 format may report water impact using AWARE factors, making water data more meaningful than simple volume figures.
Supply chain transparencyknowing where raw materials are extracted and processed is essential for assessing water impact. A manufacturer in the UK using ore from a water-stressed region still contributes to water scarcity at the extraction point.
UK perspectivewhile the UK is generally water-abundant, regional variation exists. South-east England experiences water stress, and climate change is projected to increase drought frequency. Water efficiency in construction is a growing UK policy concern.

Resource depletion: beyond water

EPDs report Abiotic Depletion Potential (ADP) in two categories: elements (minerals and metals, measured in kg Sb equivalent) and fossil fuels (measured in MJ). Together they indicate how much the product depletes non-renewable resources.

TopicDetail
ADP-elementsmeasures consumption of scarce mineral resources, weighted by their global reserve and extraction rate. Products containing copper, zinc, rare earths, or other scarce metals score higher. Recycled metal content directly reduces this indicator.
ADP-fossil fuelsmeasures total fossil energy consumed across the lifecycle. Closely related to GWP but not identical: a product manufactured using renewable energy has lower ADP-fossil than one using gas, even if the thermal processes are similar.
Critical raw materialsthe EU maintains a list of critical raw materials (CRMs) with high supply risk. Construction products containing cobalt (battery storage), indium (transparent coatings), or rare earth elements (lighting) have hidden resource depletion risks.
Sand and gravelwhile not typically classified as 'scarce', construction-grade sand is under increasing pressure globally. River sand extraction causes significant ecological damage. Marine dredging is regulated. Recycled aggregate and manufactured sand are growing alternatives.
Phosphogypsuma byproduct of phosphate fertiliser production, used in some plasterboard manufacturing. While it diverts waste from stockpiling, it can contain trace radioactive elements and heavy metals. Check the source and regulatory compliance.

How to specify for water and resource efficiency

Integrating water and resource considerations into material specification does not require becoming a water scientist. These practical strategies make a meaningful difference.

TopicDetail
Read the full EPDdo not just check GWP. Scan the resource use indicators (FW, ADP-elements, ADP-fossil) and waste generation. A product with low carbon but high water use or resource depletion may not be the best overall choice.
Prefer recycled contentrecycled metals, glass, and aggregates reduce both resource depletion and water use compared to virgin production. A tonne of recycled aluminium uses approximately 5% of the water needed for primary aluminium production.
Specify local materials for heavy productsconcrete, aggregate, brick, and stone are water-intensive and heavy. Sourcing locally reduces both transport emissions and the risk of sourcing from water-stressed regions.
Ask about water managementlarger manufacturers increasingly report water recycling rates and discharge quality. A plant recycling 80% of its process water has a fundamentally different impact from one discharging once-through cooling water.
Consider the full supply chaina 'British-made' product using imported raw materials still carries the water and resource impact of extraction in the source country. Ask about material origins, not just the manufacturing location.
Use material efficiency as a resource strategyreducing the quantity of material used (through structural optimisation, efficient detailing, and waste reduction) reduces all environmental impacts simultaneously, including water and resource depletion.

Tip. BREEAM awards Mat 03 credits for responsible sourcing, which encompasses resource efficiency. Specifying materials with third-party verified environmental data (EPDs, BES 6001) contributes to these credits.

Using resource data on Matera

Where suppliers have uploaded EPDs, Matera displays environmental impact data including water use and resource indicators alongside carbon figures. Use this data to make holistic comparisons rather than optimising for carbon alone. The certification filters help identify products with third-party verified environmental data.

Browse the libraryLife Cycle Assessment (LCA) 101