Learn about your environment: Our water use adds up

The average U.S. household indirectly uses 39,829 gallons of water per month through the associated electricity water footprint. Using less energy and using wind and solar, which require little water, could help meet our needs while sustaining healthy ecosystems for wildlife and future generations.WIKIMEDIA

It is said that wars will be fought over water in this century and in some regions, conflicts over water are evident.

There is no more water today than when the dinosaurs roamed the Earth and there will be no more water when future generations need it to survive! What has changed is the exponential growth in the human population and the fact that the human water footprint (the volume of water consumption and pollution) has exceeded sustainable levels.

The available water per person and for wildlife is decreasing and it is being used and abused faster than it can be replenished or restored. What, then, should a growing population do to make sure the water that has sustained life on Earth for millions of years is available to meet the needs of current and future generations?

The only way to make every drop count is by understanding this limited resource -- how it is used, and making more informed choices to use it wisely.

Consumers are the best group to lead because their choices drive water consumption. Did you know that the average American lifestyle is responsible for using nearly 2,000 gallons a day at home? Only five percent (100 gallons) runs through toilets, taps, and garden hoses. It is the nearly 95 percent of water hidden in the food you eat, energy you use, products you buy and services you rely on that add up to such a huge daily water footprint. Furthermore, much of this water is not for products or services absolutely needed for survival.

Reducing direct water use is important, but to shrink the human water footprint, energy use must be minimized, diets changed and buying habits altered. Insisting that producers follow that lead to use water more efficiently by using methods that are pollution-free -- from the cradle to the grave -- are sure ways to protect water resources.

Do you know how much water it takes to grow the food you eat, produce the products you use or the energy and water to transport and keep them working?

Take the following quiz and then decide which changes you can make to use less water.

How many gallons of water are used, on average, in the U.S. to produce:


1. Electricity at home per day

a. 100

b. 500

c. 700-800

d. 1,000-2,000


2. One gallon of gasoline

a. 1

b. 4

c. 10-15

d. 24-30


3. One pound of chicken

a. 10

b. 50

c. 100

d. 340

e. 470


4. One cup of coffee

a. 2

b. 15

c. 30

d. 55


5. One pound of corn

a. 50

b. 110

c. 300

d. 550


6. One dozen eggs

a. 20

b. 50

c. 100

d. 250

e. 600-700


7. One pound of beef

a. 150

b. 500-800

c. 1,800

d. 4,000


8. One orange

a. 1

b. 6

c. 13

d. 21

e. 36


9. One sheet of paper

a. 3

b. 10

c. 18

d. 30

e. 45


10. One cup of milk

a. 5

b. 10-30

c. 55

d. 180


11. A cotton T-shirt

a. 100

b. 300-700

c. 1,000

d. 2,200


12. One pound of wheat

a. 60

b. 140

c. 220

d. 400


Get a better picture of your water use with National Geographic's Water Footprint Calculator at http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/change-the-course/water-footprint-calculator/. It is designed to give U.S. residents a rough estimate of daily water use, including direct and indirect use.


ANNA MCCARTNEY, a communications and education specialist for Pennsylvania Sea Grant, can be reached by e-mail at axm40@psu.edu. Be sure to like the NIE pages on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaSeaGrant.


Answers: 1. d, 2. c, 3. e, 4. d, 5. b, 6. e, 7. c, 8. c, 9. a, 10. c, 11. b, 12. b