(True or False?)

Global Water FactsHow Much Of Earth's Water Is Usable By Humans?

Less than 3% of all water is fresh water,

97% is salt water.

Of that 3%, most of it

is in ice caps or in deep

aquifers, which means

that it is not really

accessible for consumption.

You might think that here in New England we are not faced with water problem since we get so much rain and snow. But that is actually not true. Many of the rivers dry out in the summer, because too much water is drawn from them. Also, with climate change, we can expect to get more droughts here in the Northeast.

FRESHWATER IS ESSENTIAL FOR HEALTH 884 million people, lack access to

safe water supplies, approximately one in eight people.

On average, every US dollar invested in water and sanitation provides an economic return of eight US dollars. (1)

At any given time, half of the world’s hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from a water-related disease.

FRESHWATER IS ESSENTIAL FOR FOOD SECURITY

Agricultural water use accounts for over 75% of total global consumption, mainly through crop irrigation, (while industrial use accounts for about 20%, and the remaining 5% is used for domestic purposes.)

It is estimated that between 14 and 17 per cent more water will be needed for irrigation by 2030 to feed the world’s growing population.

Sixty per cent of water used for irrigation is wasted because of inefficient irrigation techniques.

A 10 per cent improvement in irrigation efficiency could double the drinking water supply for the poor.

How do we use water? At Tufts, the water comes from the towns of

Medford and Somerville. Almost all the water that is used in the Metro Boston Area comes from the Quabbin Reservoir out in Western Massachusetts.

The USA ranks dead last among the 29 OECD nations. In other words, we consume more water per capita than any other developed country. (OECD stands for Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

How many gallons of water does it

take to make….

It takes an estimated 39,090 gallons of

water to make a car. It's unclear if that

includes the more 2,000 gallons used to

make its tires--each tire takes 518 gallons

to make.

53 Gallons. It takes 1.85 gallons of water to

manufacture the plastic for the bottle in the

average commercial bottle of water.

WATER IN THE FUTURE

Since 1950, global water use has more than tripled.

On current trends, over the next 20 years humans will use 40 per cent more water than they do now.

To achieve the 2015 targets for freshwater provision, water supplies will have to reach an additional 1.5 billion people in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

By 2025, nearly 230 million Africans will face water scarcity, and 460 million will be living in water-stressed countries.

THE POLLUTION PROBLEM Farming is said to be responsible for 70% of current water pollution

in the US

Eutrophication- a process that occurs when excess nutrients stimulate the growth of algae, which, when they die and decay, rob the water of oxygen

In developing countries, on average, 90% to 95% of all domestic sewage and 75% of all industrial waste are discharged into surface waters without any treatment whatsoever.

Atmospheric deposition- the pollution of water caused by air pollution.

Clean Water Act?

What can you do? Eat less meat

Use less electricity

Drink from the tap

Use less paper