The Domestic Water Footprint of the Inhabitants of Iași Municipality. Preliminary results

The water footprint is an essential indicator reflecting water usage across human activities, encompassing blue, green, and grey footprints. It raises awareness of direct and indirect water consumption and its environmental impacts. In our research, we developed a methodology based on bibliographic analysis, focusing specifically on the residential component of water usage. The results are based on average values of evaluated parameters, which provide suggestive insights. To gather data, we distributed a quantitative questionnaire to residents of the Iași metropolitan area. The preliminary findings, based on 175 anonymous responses, reveal an average water footprint of 7,999.277 liters per day per person. By comparison, the average daily water footprint is 3,397 liters globally, 3,287 liters in Europe and 4,627 liters in Romania. The highest footprint (11,536.22 liters per day) was found in Moara de Vânt-Țicău, while the lowest (6,293.57 liters per day) was in Centru. Statistical analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between water consumption and various demographic, educational and social factors (for instance, higher water usage among more educated individuals could be attributed to their habits or social influences). The study faced limitations, including poor questionnaire response rates, age restrictions, partial water footprint analysis, and uneven neighborhood distribution. This study emphasizes the importance of the water footprint as an indicator for assessing sustainable water consumption.