2,219
gallons of water per item, global average
One item: one 300 mm silicon wafer (yields many chips)
The same volume as
🥛
35,505
Glass of Water (8 oz)
🍶
17,752
Water Bottle (16 oz)
About this figure
Fabricating one 300 mm silicon wafer uses about 2,200 gallons, including roughly 1,506 gallons of ultrapure water. A single wafer yields many individual chips. Source: semiconductor industry life-cycle data. Figures are global-average total water footprints (green, blue and grey water) per item. They are not California-specific and are on a different basis from the crop sheets, which show California irrigation water applied per serving.
Sources
Global-average water footprints per item: Water Footprint Network (Mekonnen and Hoekstra) for cotton, leather and paper goods, applied to typical item mass; item-specific life-cycle assessments for the smartphone, silicon wafer, desktop computer, car, disposable diaper and bottled water, as named on each sheet.
Figures as of September 10, 2026.
How to cite
Everyday Goods Water Fact Sheet: Silicon Wafer (chips). conciseVerbosity, September 10, 2026. https://api.conciseverbosity.com/water-facts/goods/silicon-wafer.html