Water's Value

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349 billion gallons of freshwater are withdrawn every day in the United States.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 half 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.

Source: beta.thevalueofwater.org
Collected by Nhu-Vu SAPUWA