Water and People

Water use in the United States in 1980 was estimated to be an average of 450 million gallons per day, a 22 percent increase from the 1970 estimate. Average per capita use was 1,600 gallons per day of fresh water and 400 gallons per day of saline water. Total fresh water consumed (and therefore no longer available for immediate subsequent use) increased to 100 billion gallons per day, with irrigation in the western states accounting for about 80 percent of the total consumed.

By the year 2000, it has been estimated that 17 out of 21 water resources regions of the United States will suffer from inadequate surface and underground (groundwater) water supplies, flooding, erosion and sedimentation problems, and pollution of both surface water and groundwater.

Much of our water use is hidden. Think about what you had for lunch. A hamburger, for example, requires water to raise wheat for the bun, to grow hay and corn to feed the cattle and to process the bread and beef. Together with french fries and a soft drink, this all-American meal uses about 1,500 gallons of water - enough to fill a small swimming pool.

How about your clothes? To grow the cotton for a pair of jeans takes about 1,800 gallons of water. A shirt requires about 400 gallons.

How do you get to school or to the store? To produce the amount of finished steel in a car has in the past required about 32,000 gallons of water. Similarly, the steel in a 30-pound bicycle required 480 gallons. This shows that industry must continue to strive to reduce water use through manufacturing processes that use less water, and through recycling of water.