It takes more than 3,000 gallons of water to produce a cell phone. The production of semiconductor chips needs at least 2,000 gallons of water. Not to mention the water for mining the metal, making the glue and plastic for assembly and packaging.
Photo: "Chip" by JasonTromm is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0Around 1,400 to 1,600 gallons of tap water to rinse the chips, removing the debris from the manufacturing process, and prevent chips from becoming contaminated. Semiconductors and cell phones are thirsty for water.
China accounts for 7,6% of semiconductor sales and increasing. ChinaWaterRisk calculates that a factory producing 40,000 circuit boards, which hold the semiconductors, would need 4.8 million gallons of water a day, enough to supply a city of 60,000. China only has 7% of global water resources. North China, where much of the semiconductors in located, has only one-fifth of the country’s water resources.
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