What’s my water footprint?

You may have some understanding about your carbon footprint, but how much do you know about your water footprint? The water footprint of an individual, community, or business is the total volume of fresh water used to produce the goods and services that an individual or community consumes, or that a business provides. For example, 11 gallons of water are needed to irrigate and wash the fruit in one half-gallon container of orange juice. To grow, produce, package, and ship the beans that made your morning cup of coffee, 37 gallons of water were used. To produce one quart of milk, 264 gallons of water are required.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American uses about 100 gallons of water daily. The annual American per capita water footprint is about 8,000 cubic feet; that is twice the global per capita average. 

With water use increasing six-fold in the past century, our demands for fresh water are rapidly outstripping what the planet can replenish. Check out your own water footprint on the H20 Conserve website. You can also visit the Water Footprint website to see how your water footprint compares to those of other nations.

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1. Is there lead in my drinking water?
2. Is there a water fill station in Ponca City?
3. What makes water hard?
4. What’s my water footprint?