- There is as much water on earth today as there was thousands of years ago.
- Almost 97% of the world's water is salty, and 2% is locked in ice caps and glaciers so 99% of the water on earth is undrinkable.
- The United States uses some 450 billion gallons of water every day.
- Every glass of water brought to your table at a restaurant requires another two glasses of water to wash and rinse the glass.
- We drink less than 1% of treated water. The rest of this treated water goes to watering lawns, washing machines, and down toilets and drains.
- “Nationally, an average of 14% of the water we buy is lost through leaks without our ever using it,” Christine Whitman.
- A typical family of four spends about $820 on water supply fees and sewer charges per year.
- Federal legislation passed in 1992 that requires all U.S. plumbing manufacturers and importers to meet or beat the following standards for water efficiency:
Showerheads: 2.5 gallons per minute
Faucets: 2.5 gallons per minute
Toilets: 1.6 gallons per minute
- An outdated showerhead wastes 20 extra gallons a day or 7,200 gallons a year.
- It takes 150 gallons of water to produce the Sunday newspaper.
- The average person will consume 16,000 gallons of water in a lifetime.
- It takes 39,000 gallons of water to manufacture a new car and four tires.
- If all of the water on the earth and in the atmosphere were poured into the United States, it would form a pool 90 miles deep.
- The U.S. gets 1/2 of its drinking water from groundwater.
- The Great Lakes contain about 20% of the earth's usable fresh water.
Water Conservation Tips
After experiencing severe drought conditions in Colorado and in the Roaring Fork Valley in 2002, Roaring Fork Conservancy compiled the following water conservation tips. However, the following tips are applicable to anyone in the United States or in the World!
Around the House
Only run the washing machine when it is full. If you have to do laundry and you do not have a full load, only use as much water as necessary to get the clothes clean and use water saving settings (no extra rinse). Clothes washers with a horizontal axis use on-third to one-half as much water, energy and detergent as traditional top-loading models.
If you are running the water and waiting for it to warm up or cool off, run it into a bucket or tub and use the water later to water plants or for other household uses.
In the Kitchen
Only run the dishwasher when it is full and reduce the amount of rinsing done before loading the dishwasher.
When washing dishes by hand, fill your sink half way full with warm, soapy water, wash the dishes, and then rinse them all at once. Doing this can save over 10 gallons of water per washing.
Wash vegetables in a full sink instead of letting the water run.
In the Bathroom
An inefficient shower head wastes 20 extra gallons a day or 7,200 gallons a year. You can reduce this by replacing old shower heads with more efficient models.
Placing a brick or full gallon jug in your toilet tank reduces water use in the bathroom.
Outside
Washing your car at a car wash ensures that the water gets properly treated and recycled.
If you do wash your car at home, do so on the grass with an environmentally friendly soap, instead of on the street. Grass and soil will filter out contaminants rather than having them run in to the river.
Keep your spa or pool covered for the winter to prevent evaporation.
Every Drop Counts!
Did you know that the average American uses over 85 gallons of water each day? Learn how you can reduce the amount of water you and your family use each day by completing the Water Conservation Inventory Form with your family. You may also want to visit our Water Conservation section on our website.
