Water use by wineries in Mendoza

The objective of this paper is to estimate, at basin level, the volume of water used by the wineries in Mendoza, which consists mainly of groundwater. This information can be used to calculate the water balance in the context of industrial water use. Estimates were based on winemaking data provided by the Instituto Nacional de Vitivinicultura. Coefficients of liters of water per liter of wine were obtained through qualified informants as well as by local and international literature; they were applied to wine production per basin. The said coefficients ranged between 1.5 and 6 liters of water/liters of wine, excluding the use of water for irrigation. To analyze the impact of water use on efficieny, consumption, the results were sensitized for three coefficient values. It has been estimated that wineries in Mendoza use between 1.66 and 6.66 hm(3)/year, depending on water use efficiency. Out of the total volume of water used by wineries, 85.2% is drawn from the Northern Basin of Mendoza, comprising the Mendoza river and the lower reach of the Tunuyan river.