20+ Ways to Reduce Your Impact on the Growing Global Water Footprint

The next time you mindlessly turn on the faucet and waste water by allowing it to run

down the drain–sometimes for several minutes–while you splash your face, brush your

teeth or wash the dishes, consider these alarming facts:

*The average American lifestyle requires about 2,000 gallons of water every day.

*Fresh water consumption has doubled since World War II and is expected to rise

25% by 2030.

*Excessive water use takes a massive toll on our planet and can create water scarcity.

You’ve probably read the headlines and seen images documenting the devastating

effects of water scarcity in parts of the U.S and across the globe.

Water scarcity effects up to 2.8 billion people around the world at least one month

out of the year.

Too many of us take fresh, clean water for granted–while millions of people walk miles

each day to fetch water for daily use.

Drought, famine and fires are everpresent realities.

According to TheWorldCounts.com

“We are running out of water!…

Water resources are already being used to the limit and we are using more and more of it.

So how much water do we use a day?

Over 10 billion tons worldwide.

Top 5 facts about freshwater use:

1. We use a LOT of water
Every year we use a massive 4 trillion cubic meters of freshwater. This amount is equivalent to 50 Olympic swimming pools every second.
Or, it’s comparable to if everyone on the planet would drink over 4 glasses of water…every single minute.

2. Water is a precious resource
The amount of freshwater on the planet amounts to only 3 percent of all water on the planet…and less than 1 percent of this is ready for human use.

3. We are running out of it
1.4 billion people already live in areas that are simply running out of water. And poor people are those suffering the most.

4…and the challenge is only getting bigger
The increase in the world’s population highlights our need to solve the water problem.
Compared to today, we will have to support an additional 2.7 billion people with water in 2050 requiring twice the current supply of water.”

However, we can make a significant impact–starting today!

There are many simple changes we can make in our daily lives that can positively impact

water use and lessen the effects of water scarcity.

For example, using dual flush toilets, turning off the tap while scrubbing dishes,

or using a rain barrel to collect outdoor water are all great ways to reduce your

water footprint.

Of course, there are many more ways to lessen our impact.

The infographic below developed by Custom Made illustrates when and where water is used

and how we can reduce water usage throughout the day–in the bathroom, kitchen, laundry

as well as outdoors.

Use this as a handy guide to help reduce your water footprint!

Click to Enlarge Image

What steps are you taking to reduce your water footprint?

Share your thoughts and comments with us.

“Shared at Our Simple Homestead”