“Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.”
This adage is somewhat true because only 3% of all water on Earth is drinkable. That might not sound like much. However, water covers 71% of the planet.
Water is one of the most important elements: without it, the human race would perish. With such significance to our lives, there are plenty of interesting facts about water.
Here are the top 5 facts about water that you should know in 2020.
1. There Is a Lot of Water on Earth
As previously mentioned, 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water.
How much is that, exactly?
The total amount of water on the planet amounts to 326 million cubic miles. 97% of this is saltwater, as is found in the world’s oceans.
2. Clean Drinking Water Is Actually Scarce
In the west, we have plenty of access to clean drinking water. We can go to our local store and buy bottled water. We can turn on a faucet, fill up a glass, and drink it.
One of the saddest water facts is that the luxury of plentiful clean water isn’t something that every person on the planet has. 780 million people on the planet don’t have access to filtered, healthy drinking water. That’s a staggering 11% of the world’s population.
It is estimated that, due to humanmade damage to the environment, these numbers will rise dramatically in the coming years. This may lead to half of the world living in a water-stressed place by 2025.
3. Much of What We Consume Takes Water
Water is essential in the production of so much of our food and drink. Here are some facts on water use in the things we consume.
To make one pint of beer, you’ll need to use 20 gallons of water.
To produce one quarter pounder burger, it takes 1,300 gallons of water. This is due to the amount of water used in irrigating fields, watering crops, as well as for the cow to drink.
For a chicken to produce one egg, 120 gallons of water are required.
4. We Drink a Lot of Water
Each day, Americans drink more than one billion glasses of water. That’s eight billion fluid ounces!
If you thought that was a lot, consider this: during the first six months of a baby’s life, they will drink seven times more water per pound than an average adult.
5. We Use a Lot of Water
The amount of water use has risen at twice the rate of the increase in the world’s population over the last one hundred years. This fact has a lot to do with the conveniences of modern plumbing.
If you enjoy a bath, you’ll be using over 70 gallons to fill an average bathtub. Every day in America, 5.7 billion gallons of water gets flushed down the toilet.
There Are Plenty More Facts About Water
We hope you have enjoyed our facts about water. Of course, these fun facts about water found here are just the tip of the iceberg. Bonus fact: Icebergs make up 2% of the world’s water supply!
For more articles about water and the human body, check out this article on how to tell if you’re dehydrated. Or, for information about branded water bottle solutions, get in touch today.