Water and You
Water is life. It nourishes us. It cleans us and sustains us. Put simply, water is you.
- The average American uses 176 gallons of water per day—that’s 64,240 gallons a year!
- 40% of water in America is used to produce the food we eat and the beverages we drink.
- How is water used in your home? On average, 17% goes toward showering, 27% is used by the toilet, your faucet drains 15%, your clothes washer another 22%, miscellaneous needs take up 5%, and those pesky leaks steal another 14%.
- If drinking water and soda pop cost equally, your water bill would skyrocket more than 10,000%.
Water and the Environment
- 70 percent of the Earth is water. From seas to lakes, to rivers and creeks, water is everywhere. Valuing water means valuing our future.
- 349 billion gallons of freshwater are withdrawn every day in the United States.
- 41 percent of that water (143 billion gallons) is used to produce thermoelectric power, another 37% goes to irrigation.
- 4% of US energy is used for transporting, treating, and pumping water.
- More than one-third of all counties in the lower 48 states will face higher risks of water shortages by mid-century as a result of global warming.
Water and the Economy
- Water is the lifeblood of our economy. We rely on it for manufacturing, energy production, to transport materials across the globe, and more.
- One-fifth of the US economy would grind to a halt without a reliable and clean source of water.
- 46% of water consumed in America is used to produce the manufacturing products we buy.
- 1 to 3.68—the water jobs multiplier. Every job we create in the water sector helps add another 3.68 jobs in the national economy.
- 1 to 6—every $1 spent on infrastructure improvements in the US generates $6 in returns.
Water and the Community
- Water connects us. Water is a ride on a boat. Water is a sprinkler, making children laugh with joy. Water brings families and friends together in countless ways.
- 22,284—the number of gallons used per day by schools based on an evaluation done of schools in the Tampa Bay region.
- The San Antonio Zoo uses approximately 2 million gallons of water a day to care for the animals.
- The National Hockey League collectively uses more than 300 million gallons of water each season—it takes 12,500 gallons to make ice for each rink.
- Sixty-one percent of Americans rely on lakes, rivers, and streams as their source of drinking water. The other 39% rely on groundwater—water located underground in aquifers and wells.
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