Water

If all the water in the world were represented by a single drop, the amount of fresh water would be 3% of that drop, or about the amount of moisture in a water-particle in a cloud. Of that tiny quantity, the amount that is safe, unpolluted, and available to support terrestrial life is only a few thousand molecules of water vapor.

Scientists believe that the amount of water on Earth has been about the same for the past two billion years. The proportion of liquid water (ocean, lakes, rivers, aquifers) to solid water (ice, snow) has changed over time. The Ice Ages came and went, and sea level went down and then rose. A new cycle of flooding in low coastal areas may be beginning. Millions of people will become refugees in their own countries, and habitat will be lost.

Some countries have an abundance of water. Canada has 20% of the world’s fresh water and Canada has only one-half of 1% of the world’s human population. Other countries are water starved. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 80% of all human sickness in the world is attributable to unsafe water and sanitation.
 

Make Saving Water Your #1 Priority!

• Each day, the average individual in the U.S.A. uses 100 to 176 gallons of water at home.

• The average European individual uses one-fifth as much water: 20 to 35 gallons.

• Average families in Africa use 5 gallons per day.