Water cost calculations in the West are always a bit incomplete without a discussion of water rights. It takes around 500 gallons of water to make one hamburger

Water cost calculations in the West are always a bit incomplete without a discussion of water rights. It takes around 500 gallons of water to make one hamburger. [1] The reason it makes economic sense is because agricultural water is 'free' at the margin. Farmers grow alfalfa and feed it to cows. Alfalfa is ridiculously water-intensive, at 5 feet of water per acre. In that context, giving 'free' water to a drinking water company doesn't really seem outrageous per se. [1] https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/23921/does-one-hamburger-take-more-water-to-produce-than-2-months-worth-of-showering https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/23921/does-one-...