Ever wondered how much water gets wasted each day? The numbers may shock you.
Water, one of the most precious and limited resources on Earth, is getting depleted daily, yet we are ignoring it. Every year, on March 22, International Water Day is observed, an initiative to highlight the importance of freshwater and aware people about sustainable management of water resources. Among many, one of the biggest challenges we face today is wastage of water. Let's understand how much water wastage happens every day.
Water wastage occurs in numerous forms—through household use, industrial activities, agriculture, and inefficient infrastructure. Every drop wasted leads to the growing water crisis globally.
In many households, water is wasted due to improper daily habits that often go unnoticed. Following are some most common ways we waste water at home daily:
Leaky Faucets and Pipes: A single leaky faucet that allows water dripping once per second can cause more than 3,000 gallons or 11,000 liters of water wastage per year.
Long Showers: As per global data, an average shower lasts for 8 minutes, using 17 gallons or 65 liters of water. If consciously we reduce the shower time by just 2 minutes, we can save thousands of liters every year.
Running Taps: From brushing teeth, shaving to washing dishes, many people leave the tap running due to habit. If you keep the tap open for one minute it can lead to a water waste of 2.5 gallons or 9.5 liters. Calculate how much water is getting lost due to these small steps monthly or yearly.
Toilet Flushes: Are you using older toilet flushes? You are wasting at least 3-7 gallons (11-26 liters) per flush. The best way to save this water is to upgrade to the modern water-efficient models.
Overwatering Lawns: Are you fond of gardening? Are you using water efficiently? Remember, sprinklers and garden hoses can waste up to 1,000 gallons or over 3500 liters of water every week if not used correctly.
Apart from household uses, the largest consumers of freshwater industries and agricultural activities.
Agriculture: As per recent statistics, at least 70% of global freshwater is used in irrigation, among which 60% is wasted due to inefficient methods, evaporation, and runoff.
Manufacturing: Many industries use excessive water in production processes, majority of them is either wasted or polluted during the process.
Energy Production: Power plants need a vast amounts of water for cooling. Thermal power plants alone contribute to the wastage of 50-60 trillion gallons of water yearly.
Apart from these visible forms of wastage, there are some hidden ways of losing excessive water. This is through the products we consume daily, which is known as the water footprint. Ready to get shocked with the eye opening facts.
A single cup of coffee needs at least 140 liters of water to produce.
One hamburger needs 2,500 liters of water to produce.
A pair of jeans demand 7,600 liters of water to be manufactured.
So, when we consume more, we indirectly cause more water wastage.
(Credit: Insta/brutamerica)
Even during this ongoing water scarcity, many people love to enjoy unlimited access to clean water, while others suffer. Currently, more than 2 billion people are deprived of safe drinking water in different parts of the world. Amidst rising concerns about global warming amd climate change, half of the world's population face severe water crisis at least one month every year. Thus, the need for water conservation is more critical than ever.
Remember, freshwater is a finite resource, thus, wasting it puts our future at huge risk. On this International Water Day, let’s pledge to put more conscious efforts to reduce water wastage.
