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The U.S. has a supply of fresh water
equal to 600 billion gallons of water a day. This is equal to 3%
of the worlds total. Canada and the Russia have 20% each.
Daily usage of water in the United
States:
- 1960 - 270 billion gallons per day
- 1970 - 370 billion gallons per day
- 1985 - 422 billion gallons per day
Even if water usage does not approach total supply, much of
the water isn't where it is needed. For example, in Louisville,
Kentucky, the ground water table has risen 32 feet in past years, leaving basements flooded. But in some areas of Arizona,
the water tables have dropped 400 to 450 feet.
Where does all the water go? Consider these statistics:
(Industrial)
- 30,000 gallons of water to produce
one ton of steel
- 200 gallons to make one pound of
synthetic rubber
- 184,000 gallons for a ton of high
quality book paper
- 1 gallon to brew a pint of beer
The average daily water usage in the U.S. breaks down as
follows:
- 4,000 gallons to raise one pound of
beef
- 1,300 gallons to grow one pound of
cotton
- 500 gallons to grow one pound of
rice
Therefore, daily water usage in the U.S. breaks down as
follows:
- 47% agriculture
- 43% industry
- 9% physical and domestic uses
(toilets, baths, drinking and watering lawns).
Consumption of water is more critical that the total quantity
of water used, because it is water that is not available for
other uses. Generation of hydroelectric power is nonconsumptive
since water that turns turbines almost immediately returns to the
river. Agriculture, on the other hand, is responsible for 83% of
the total water "consumed"
100 years ago a barrel of water cost more than a barrel of oil
in some places. With water as with oil, conservation is the
cheapest and best answer.
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