WATER FACTS
The average American uses about 88 gallons of water a day at home, one of the highest rates of individual water use in the world.
An estimated 6 billion gallons of treated water are lost daily in the U.S. due to leaky pipes, equating to approximately 14% of the country's daily water use.
Older, inefficient household appliances and fixtures can waste a significant amount of water. For example, a single leaky faucet can waste about 3,000 gallons per year.
Agriculture in the U.S. accounts for approximately 80% of the nation’s consumptive water use and over 90% in many Western states.
The U.S. power sector is a major user of water, with thermoelectric power plants accounting for 45% of total water withdrawals.
Americans consume about 50 billion plastic water bottles annually, but only about 23% of plastic bottles are recycled, contributing to environmental pollution.
In many areas, groundwater is being pumped faster than it can be replenished, leading to declining water tables and increased risk of shortages.
The U.S. wastes about 40% of its food, which also means a vast amount of water used in food production is wasted—equivalent to about 25% of the U.S. water consumption.
Runoff from agriculture, including pesticides and fertilizers, is a leading cause of water pollution in the United States, affecting rivers, lakes, and coastal waters.
Climate change is expected to exacerbate water scarcity in parts of the U.S., particularly in the Southwest, with longer and more severe droughts.
Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
2.2 billion people around the world lack access to safely managed drinking water services.
About 4.2 billion people do not have access to safely managed sanitation services, and 673 million people still practice open defecation.
An estimated 3 billion people lack basic handwashing facilities with soap and water at home.
Unsafe and insufficient water, sanitation, and hygiene contribute to 80% of diseases in the developing world, including cholera, typhoid, and other waterborne diseases.
Every day, over 800 children under age 5 die from preventable diarrheal diseases caused by poor water and sanitation.
In many parts of the world, women and girls are primarily responsible for water collection, often spending hours each day walking to collect water, which impacts their education and safety.
Globally, one in three schools lacks basic sanitation and water facilities, affecting the education and health of millions of children.
Poor sanitation and water supply result in economic losses estimated at $260 billion annually in developing countries.
Around 1 in 4 healthcare facilities lacks basic water services, affecting over 2 billion people and severely impacting health outcomes, particularly for mothers and newborns.
Climate change is worsening the water crisis, with more frequent and severe droughts and floods, affecting water availability and quality for millions of people.
Water Crisis
Over 90% of all natural disasters are water-related, including floods, tsunamis, hurricanes, and droughts. These disasters have been increasingly impacting people worldwide, both in frequency and severity, due to climate change.
It is projected that by 2030, intense water scarcity could displace as many as 700 million people, creating a significant global humanitarian challenge.
Providing global water security is surprisingly cost-effective. With an estimated cost of only around $0.29 per person per day, it is a feasible goal for international efforts.
Investing just 1% of global GDP could substantially address the world's water challenges, emphasizing the affordability of solving water issues relative to their global impact.
Water scarcity, worsened by climate change, is expected to cost some regions up to 6% of their GDP by 2050, highlighting the economic impact of this growing crisis.
Annual economic losses from weather-related disasters, primarily driven by water-related events, are estimated to range between $250 billion and $300 billion.
With the anticipated population increase by 2050, agricultural water consumption is expected to rise by 19%, putting further strain on already limited water resources.
More than one-third of all counties in the lower 48 states of the U.S. face a higher risk of water shortages by mid-century due to global warming and changing precipitation patterns.
Over 8 million tons of plastic are dumped into the oceans annually, causing significant environmental and marine life damage.
In the European Union, a significant proportion of water bodies are under pressure from agricultural pollution, with around 38% being significantly affected.
Water and the Economy
One-fifth of the US economy would grind to a halt without a reliable and clean source of water.
46% of water consumed in America is used to produce the manufacturing products we buy.
40% of water in America is used to produce the food we eat and the beverages we drink.
Every job we create in the water sector helps add another 3.68 jobs in the national economy.
Every $1 spent on infrastructure improvements in the US generates $6.80 in returns.
Agriculture accounts for ~70% of global freshwater withdrawals and up to 90% in some fast-growing economies.
41% or 143 billion gallons of water is used to produce thermoelectric power, making it the largest water use sector in the country.
4% of US energy is used for transporting, treating, and pumping water.
15-megawatt data center can use up to 360,000 gallons of water a day.
Over the past 40 years, the world’s population has doubled and use of water has quadrupled.
By 2030, humanity’s “annual global water requirements” will exceed “current sustainable water supplies” by 40%.
In India alone, water-borne diseases cost the economy 73 million working days per year.
Aquaculture has grown more than 20-fold since the 1980s, especially inland fed aquaculture and particularly in Asia.
The area equipped for irrigation has more than doubled in recent decades.
There will be about 1 billion more mouths to feed worldwide by 2025 and global agriculture alone will require another 1 trillion cubic meters of water per year (equal to the annual flow of 20 Niles or 100 Colorado Rivers).
Together, the drinking water and wastewater sectors predict that the fallout from the pandemic will put them $30 billion in the hole.
2.3 billion gallons of water are used annually by Google in just 3 of their 21 data centers.
In 2018 alone, roughly $38 billion in financial losses were reported by companies as a result of water-related challenges.
Global water demand will increase by 400% from manufacturing by 2050.
In 2019, Google's total water withdrawal was 5.16 billion gallons.
Water demand is projected to grow by 55% by 2050.
By 2035, the world’s energy consumption will increase by 35%, which in turn will increase water use by 15%.
It costs approximately 40% more to replace a failed asset than to address the problem prior to failure.
Every $1 spent on flood prevention could save at least $62 in flood restoration costs.
One in four cities – representing over $4 trillion in economic activity – are already water stressed. This is also true of 70 per cent of the world’s megacities.
If the world continues with business as usual, it’s estimated that 45 cities, each with over three million residents, will face extremely high-water stress by 2030.
66% of listed companies face ocean-related risks and could lose up to $8.4trn in ocean investments over the next 15 years due to declining ocean health and the effects of climate change.
The following charts summarize progress towards improved water and sanitation access, to realize the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Water Goal 6
FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS EXPLORER
The Freshwater Ecosystems Explorer is a free and easy to use data platform. It provides accurate, up-to-date, high-resolution geospatial data depicting the extent freshwater ecosystems change over time.
(Click on Image to use)
