Watch this video to hear Frank Benichou, Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Officer at Veolia Water North America, explain Veolia's new Water Impact Index. The Water Impact Index moves beyond the basic volumetric assessment of water use to incorporate energy consumption, carbon emission, and effects on the water source in question.
Public and private water and wastewater utilities need to more thoroughly assess the full environmental effects and costs of different water management scenarios, and the Water Impact Index is a significant step in that direction.
Benichou presented the Water Impact Index at the Metropolitan Planning Council-Openlands forum "Down the Drain, up in Smoke: Exploring the Water-Energy Nexus in the Chicago Region," Aug. 3, 2010, in Chicago.