The Water Blog

In the US, about 48% of all water used daily (about 160 billion gallons) is taken from wells, lakes, or rivers by factories and steam-producing power plants.

Our factories use more water than any other material.

About 38,000 gallons are required to make a ton of steel or paper. 7 gallons are needed to refine 1 gallon of gasoline and 15 gallons are needed to brew 1 gallon of beer.

Water is the only substance on earth that is naturally present in 3 different forms: liquid, solid (ice), and gas (vapor).

Did you know that every glass of water you drink contains molecules of water that has been used countless times before?

Henry David Thoreau

About 40% of water used in the US is used for irrigation. This amounts to about 140 billion gallons used A DAY!

Northeastern India gets over 400 inches of rain yearly. At the other end of the spectrum, about 1/2 of the Earth's land doesn't get enough rain (most of Asia, central Australia, most of northern Africa, and the Middle East).

Washing machine = 40 gallons

Ocean water is too salty to be used for drinking, agriculture, or industry. But the salt is left behind during the evaporation process and the resulting precipitation that falls is fresh water.

Humans should take in about 2-1/2 quarts of water every day in the form of beverages, water, or food. Stay hydrated!

For instance, it takes about 80 gallons of water to make one Sunday newspaper. It takes about 20 gallons to produce a pound of steel.

Fun With Water!

Water is used and reused over and over again. Almost all the water we use will end up back in the oceans, where it is evaporated by the sun. When it rains, it falls back to the ground again and the process starts over.

Water helps to control our climate by keeping it from getting too hot or too cold. Land absorbs and releases heat from the sun rather quickly. But oceans do it slowly. So the winds that originate from the oceans cool us off in the summer and keep us warm in winter.

When rain pelts the land, it washes soil and rocks into lakes and rivers, changing the landscape. As ocean waves pound against the shores, they carve out cliffs and erode the land. River waters sculpt canyons while glaciers clear out valleys and tear away at mountains.