Circle of Blue: 10 Things You Should Know About Water

Reminding ourselves, and others, about water facts is always a good idea. The more we think about water, the more likely we are to cut down on how much we use.

Circle of Blue has compiled an excellent list of information with the goal of solving the world's water crisis. A PDF of the information below is available on their website. I'm printing it out and posting it in my apartment building's common area to serve as reminder to my neighbors. I hope you'll do the same.

Here's what you'll find in the Circle of Blue list:

10 Things You Should Know:

1 – One drop of oil can make up to 25 liters (6.6 gallons) of water undrinkable.

2 – Seventy percent of the world’s water is used for agriculture, 22 percent for industry and 8 percent for domestic use. Low and middle income countries use 82 percent of their water for agriculture, 10 percent for industry and 8 percent for domestic use. High income countries use 30 percent of their water for agriculture, 59 percent for industry and 11 percent for domestic use.

3 – A person is able to survive one month without food but only five to seven days without water.

4 – Of all the Earth’s water, 97.5 percent is salt and 2.5 is fresh. Of that water, about 70 percent is locked in glacial ice and 30 percent in soil, leaving under 1 percent (.007 percent of the total water) readily accessible for human use.

5 – A water footprint, or virtual water, is the amount of water used in the entire production and/or growth of a specific product. For example, 1 kilogram (2.2 lbs) of beef has a water footprint of 16,000 liters (4,226.8 gallons); one sheet of paper has a water footprint of 10 liters (2.6 gallons); one cup of tea has a water footprint of 35 liters (9.2 gallons); and one microchip has a water footprint of 32 liters (8.5 gallons).

6 – It takes 94.5 to 189.3 liters of water (25 to 50 gallons) to take a five-minute shower; 7.6 to 26.5 liters (2-7 gallons) to flush a toilet; 7.6 liters (2 gallons) to brush one’s teeth; and 75.7 liters (20 gallons) to hand wash dishes.

7 – 6,000 children die each day from preventable water-related diseases.

8 – The population of the United States is approximately 304 million; the population of Europe is approximately 732.7 million; 1.1 billion people lack adequate drinking water access; and 2.6 billion people lack basic water sanitation.

9 – The average American uses about 575 liters of water (151.9 gallons) per day, with about 60 percent of that being used out-of-doors (watering lawns, washing cars, etc.). The average European uses 250 liters of water (66 gallons) per day. 1.1 billion people lack adequate water access, using less than 19 liters (5 gallons) per day.

10 – The average American uses 30.3 times more water than a person who lacks adequate water access; the average European uses 13.2 times more water than a person who lacks adequate water access.

Read more at Circle of Blue, download the PDF and subscribe to their mailing list: http://www.circleofblue.org/waternews/2009/world/infographic-ten-things-you-should-know-about-water/