Water Facts
- Of all the earth's water, 97 percent is salt water found in oceans and seas.
- Only 1% of the earth's water is available for drinking water. Two percent is currently frozen.
- About two thirds of the human body is water. Some parts of the body contain more water than others. For example, 70 percent of your skin is water.
- There are more than 56,000 community water systems providing water to the public in the United States.
- There are approximately 1 million miles of pipelines and aqueducts that carry water in the United States and Canada. That's enough to circle the earth 40 times.
- Typically, households consume at least 50 percent of their water by lawn watering. Inside, toilets use the most water, with an average of 27 gallons per person per day.
- You can survive about a month without food, but only 5 to 7 days without water.
- Each person uses about 100 gallons of water a day at home.
- The average five-minute shower takes between 15 to 25 gallons of water.
- You can refill an 8 oz glass of water approximately 15,000 times for the same cost as a six-pack of soda.
- An automatic dishwasher uses approximately 9 to 12 gallons of water while hand washing dishes can use up to 20 gallons.
- 300 million gallons of water are needed to produce a single day's supply of U.S. newsprint.
- A person should consume 2 quarts of water per day (from all sources of water, food, etc.) to maintain health.
You can find these and other interesting facts about water by going to the American Water Works Association consumer water center: http://www.awwa.org/Advocacy/learn/index.cfm.
Summer water use in the Omaha metro area
Water security and conservation information from the American Water Works Association
Frequently Asked Questions about quality, treatment and testing
Frequently Asked Questions about water service and repair