Some Facts You Should Know About Water

Take some time to be amazed at the fact that we are drinking the same water that Jesus, St. Francis, Steve Jobs, Socrates drank and that is JUST the 1% of fresh water available to us.

WATER RIGHTS 

"When the well is dry, we learn the worth of water."  (Ben Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanac 1733)

Water Fact Sheet Looks at Threats, Trends, Solutions

On the subject of water, three key trends confront us: Global Warming will likely change rainfall and runoff patterns and seriously impact our water supplies both in the United States and abroad; 1.2 billion people in the developing world still don't have access to clean drinking water and pressure from pollution, wetland destruction, and climate change is threatening to make this worse; the dangers of water privatization demand greater scrutiny from governments and the public.

New approaches to the way we manage water are key to meeting these challenges. Water managers, policy-makers and the general public must recognize that today's threats will become tomorrow's tragedies without swift action to combat climate change, protect wetlands, guard against the dangers of privatization, and reduce our use of water. The good news is by improving how efficiently we use water we can protect the environment, provide for agriculture and industry, and ensure there is plenty of clean drinking water for people around the world.

Facts on the World's Water

· The Earth has 1,386,000,000 km3 of water total but only 2.5 percent of that is fresh water (35,029,000 km3 or 9,254,661,800 billion gallons of fresh water).

· Less than 1 percent of the world's fresh water (or 0.01 percent of all water) is usable in a renewable fashion.

· The average person needs a minimum of 1.3 gallons (5 liters) of water per day to survive in a moderate climate at an average activity level. The minimum amount of water needed for drinking, cooking, bathing, and sanitation is 13 gallons (50 liters).

· The average person in the United States uses between 65 to 78 gallons of water (250 to 300 liters) per day for drinking, cooking, bathing, and watering their yard. The average person in the Netherlands uses only 27 gallons (104 liters) per day for the same tasks.

· The average person in the African nation of Gambia uses only 1.17 gallons (4.5 liters) of water per day.

Trend: Global Warming Threatens U.S. Water Supplies