Water Facts from the EPA

Drinking Water Facts and Figures:

* 66% of the human body is water; 75% of the human brain is water. (Ever wonder why you get a headache when you've exerting yourself in hot weather?)

* 75% of a chicken, 80% of a pineapple, and 95% of a tomato is water.

* A person must consume 2.5 quarts of water per day from all sources (drinking, eating) to maintain health.

* Water regulates the earth's temperature. It also reguates the temperature of the human body, carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells, cushions joints, protects organs, and removes wastes.

* It is possible for people today to drink water that was part of the dinosaur era.

USAGE

* Industries as well as people need water. It takes on average, 39,090 gallons of H2O to manufacture a new car and it's 4 tires. 62,600 gallons of water are needed to produce one ton of steel; 1,500 gallons to process one barrel of beer; and 9.3 gallons to process one can of fruit or vegetables.

* On average, 50-70% of household water is used outdoors (water lawns, washing cars, etc)

* The average American uses over 100 gallons of water per day; the average residence uses over 100,000 gallons during a year.

* Americans drink more than 1 Billion glasses of tap water per day. (MAS note: this needs updating; not sure what the stats are on our bottled water usage are.)

INFRASTRUCTURE

* The average cost for water supplied to a home in the U.S. is about $2.00 for 1,000 gallons, which equals about 5 gallons for 1 penny.

* It costs over $3.5 billion to operate water systems throughout the U.S. each year.

MINIMIZE PRODUCTION OF WASTE

* Learn who your water supplier is, where the water comes from, whether shortages have occured in your community.

* Repair leaking faucets and toilets. (MAS note: Many water suppliers can provide you leak testers and other items, such as low-flow faucets, for free)

* Take short showers. (MAS note: you can reduce the water that goes down the drain by installing low-flow showerheads, or installing a simple water cutoff to use when you are soaping up.)

* Turn off water while brushing your teeth. (MAS note: Capture the water you are warming up, too. Use it to wash your toothpaste spit down the drain.)

* Turn off the hose while washing your car.

* Be careful and prudent with your water use outside. (MAS note: use soaker hoses or drip systems; water in early morning or early evening to reduce evaporation. Also, your hoses may need new gaskets; the little rubber things you find inside the hose. If they are old, they'll leak.)

* MAS note: In the winter, protect your water line by blanketing the outside faucets; this can help prevent a rupture.

For more information: call Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 or visit the safewater web site at www.epa.gov/safewater.

Source: EPA Handout "Water Facts," 2004.