A map entitled “World of Rivers” included as an insert within the April 2010 issue of National Geographic magazine provides an analysis of how much water is actually consumed (hidden water usage) to produce common everyday goods. It is an eye-opening set of data. One thing the data definitely highlights is the water conservation benefits of a vegetarian or vegan diet. It also highlights the considerable amount of water it takes for producing oil when compared to other forms of energy, including other fossil fuels.

Whenever possible, new or updated numbers are provided from the National Geographic website. Here is the data:

Meat and dairy products

1,799 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef (updated on website)

1,382 gallons of water to produce one pound of sausage

880 gallons of water to produce one gallon of milk

756 gallons of water to produce one pound of pork

731 gallons of water to produce one pound of sheep (from the website)

589 gallons of water to make processed cheese

468 gallons of water to produce one pound of chicken (updated on website)

400 gallons of water to produce one pound of eggs

371 gallons of water to produce one pound of fresh cheese

138 gallons of water to produce one pound of yogurt

127 gallons of water to produce one pound of goat (from the website)

Fruit, grains, and vegetables (rain and irrigation water both are factored in)

449 gallons of water for one pound of rice (from the website)

379 gallons of water for one pound of figs

198 gallons of water for one pound of barley (from the website)

193 gallons of water for one pound of plums

185 gallons of water for one pound of cherries

154 gallons of water for one pound of avocados

132 gallons of water for one pound of wheat (from the website)

109 gallons of water for one pound of corn

103 gallons of water for one pound of bananas

84 gallons of water for one pound of apples

79 gallons of water for one pound of grapes

55 gallons of water for a pound of oranges

43 gallons of water for a pound of beans

33 gallons of water for a pound of strawberries

31 gallons of water for a pound of potatoes

25 gallons of water for a pound of eggplant

Common goods

2,800 gallons of water to produce one cotton bed sheet

1,008 gallons of water to produce one gallon of wine

766 gallons of water to produce one cotton t-shirt

634 gallons of water to produce one hamburger

53 gallons of water to produce one glass of milk

37 gallons of water to produce one cup of coffee

32 gallons of water to produce on glass of wine

20 gallons of water to produce on glass of beer

9 gallons of water to produce one cup of tea

Energy (all from the updated website)

Oil consumes 1.01 gallons of water for each kilowatt-hour

Coal consumes 0.15 gallons of water for each kilowatt-hour

Natural gas consumes 0.10 gallons of water for each kilowatt-hour

Nuclear energy (uranium) consumes 0.09 gallons of water each kilowatt-hour

Wind energy consumer 0.00 gallons of water for each kilowatt-hour

Source: National Geographic, April 2010 (unless otherwise noted)