H13J-1715
Some Interesting Facts about Water and Water Conservation
Abstract:
The total amount of water in the world today is still the same as it was hundreds of thousands of years ago.Almost 97% of the water that is on this earth is undrinkable.
About two percent of world’s water is locked in polar ice caps and glaciers.
Only one percent of world’s water is available for human consumption.
Agriculture, livestock farming, irrigation, manufacturing, factories, businesses, commercial establishments, offices, communities and household all have to share this 1% of water that is available.
Although we call it drinking water, humans actually drink only about 1% of water that is actually supplied to the household by the utility companies.
Inside a leak-proof average American household, about 70% of the water is used in the bathroom and about 20% is utilized in kitchen and laundry.
The U.S. daily average consumption of water is about 200 gallons per person.
Desalinated water may typically cost about $2,000 - $3000 an acre foot. This is approximately a penny a gallon.
An acre-foot or 325,851 gallons is roughly the amount of water a family of five uses in a year.
1.2 trillion gallons of industrial waste, untreated sewage and storm water are dumped into U.S. waters each year.
Faster depletion of water supplies is partly due to hotter summers, which mean thirstier people, livestock, plants, trees and shrubs.
In addition, hotter summers mean more evaporation from lakes, rivers, reservoirs and irrigated farmland.
The median household in the U.S. spends about one of its income on water and sewerage.
The human body is about 75% water.
Although government agencies have taken necessary steps, water pollution levels continue to rise rapidly.
It is becoming more and more difficult to clean up polluted water bodies.
Water conservation and preventing water pollution is the responsibility of very human being.
References:
http://www.epa.gov/greeningepa/water/
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/conservation_portal/