Water use Environmental Economy in the Dairy Agroindustrial sector in the center of Santa Fe (Argentina)

Abstract

The general objective of the work is to evaluate, from a technical-economic and environmental point of view, the use of the water resource along the dairy chain in the central-western of Santa Fe province. The stages under study cover the primary and manufacturing sector, and the observation and data collection, from personal surveys and visits. The analysis methods are mainly focused on the methodologies of Water Footprint (HH) and the Life Cycle Analysis, being able to reach up to this stage, the first and, focused on the primary dairy systems. The defined unit measure is liters of water/year. Progress was made on the implementation of various tools and methodologies for water consumption quantification, which allowed obtaining numerous data that reflect the size and way in which each system makes use of the resource, distinguishing large differences. Management variables are those that stand out as the most influential. The level of affectation of the systems on the water resource can be improved and/or reduced in those where they present less efficiency through practices and technologies that optimize their processes. The study of the impact on water pollution will be a future task based on the life cycle approach. It is considered important to continue working on the precision of the data, followed by sampling, flow measurement and records.