Cool and Clear

Listening to my local NPR station recently, I heard a water expert discuss some facts about water, its availability, usage, etc.

He said that we are currently using water worldwide at a rate that is four times greater than how it is being replenished. Yes, that can't continue without some serious attention.

Here are some web sights and a few facts on drinking water.

UN Highlights World Water Crisis

Despite the fact that 75 percent of the Earth's surface is covered by water, only 2.5 percent of it is fresh water, and three-quarters of that is locked up in glaciers and permanent snow cover. Only 0.3 percent of the water is surface water, found in rivers and lakes. The rest is buried deep in the ground.

Water Facts

Less than 1% of the world's fresh water (or about 0.007% of all water on earth) is readily accessible for direct human use.

The average American individual uses 100 to 176 gallons of water at home each day. The average African family uses about 5 gallons of water each day.

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

Water questions and answers

Q: How important is ground water?

A: Ground water, which is in aquifers below the surface of the Earth, is one of the Nation's most important natural resources. Ground water is the source of about 37 percent of the water that county and city water departments supply to households and businesses (public supply). It provides drinking water for more than 90 percent of the rural population who do not get their water delivered to them from a county/city water department or private water company. Even some major cities, such as San Antonio, Texas, rely solely on ground water for all their needs. About 42 percent of the water used for irrigation comes from ground water. Withdrawals of ground water are expected to rise as the population increases and available sites for surface reservoirs become more limited.