Water

World water supply:
96% Oceans
2% Ice caps & Glaciers
1% Atmosphere
1% Fresh lakes & rivers

Typical Household Water Use in the United States
1) Activity
2) Estimated Water Usage

Washing clothes in washing machine
53 gallons per load

Flushing toilet
5 gallons per flush

Washing dishes in a dishwasher
22 gallons per load

Washing dishes with tap running
30 gallons

Washing dishes in a filled sink
8 gallons

Brushing teeth
2 gallons

Shaving with water running
20 gallons

Taking shower with standard shower head
6.5 gallons per minute

Taking shower with low-flow shower head
2.25 gallons per minute

Taking a bath
30 gallons

Washing car with running water
160 gallons per 20 minutes

Washing car with pistol-grip faucet
16 gallons per 20 minutes



Per Capita Water Consumption in Selected Countries
1) Country
2) Average Daily Consumption (gal/day)

AFRICA
Angola
5.8
Egypt
41.6
Kenya
12.6
Mozambique
2.7

EUROPE
France
77.3
Germany
46.2
Switzerland
28.9
United Kingdom
29.8

NORTH & CENTRAL AMERICA
Canada
209.4
Haiti
1.2
Mexico
39.2
United States
176.5

SOUTH AMERICA
Argentina
45.4
Brazil
39.3
Chile
70.8

ASIA
India
13.3
Israel
47.4
Philippines
89.7
Viet Nam
39.1

1 Data based on Gleick (1993) and Miller (1990). Values have been converted to US units.
2 Data are derived from WRI (1996). Values have been converted to US units.
From: Introduction to the Human Dimensions of Global Change
©1997 Association of American Geographers


Question
Can you imagine doing all of your daily activities with amount of water that the average
person uses in Haiti? What daily activities would you give up if you had to live on
this amount of water? What would you keep?
Optional Activity: Try living on the amount of water than a person in Mozambique would use in one day (2.7 gallons). Fill 3 one-gallon jug with clean water and use that amount for all of your
daily activities. You must use this water to bathe, to brush your teeth, to cook, to drink, etc. On
your honor, use only this amount of water--no cheating! Record your day, your activities, and
your personal feelings in a one day journal entry. What activities did you give up? How did you
feel?