Just about anything we do or touch utilizes water. Switch on a light; water generated the power. Read a n newspaper; water made the paper. Drive a car; water produced the steel. Eat a hamburger; water sustained the cow. The United States withdraws an estimated 339 billion gallons of fresh water a day from lakes, streams, and underground sources. That is n early 10 percent less than the total used in 1980, even though the population has grown. Economic downturn, water-saving technologies, higher water prices, and conservation efforts have stemmed water demand. Still, Americans remain among the world's biggest water users.
| 4,000 gallons of water produces one kilowatt-hour of hydroelectric power enough to light a 100 watt bulb for ten hours. |
The U. S. uses more water to produce electricity than for any other purpose. Electricity heats and cools buildings, drives trains, melts metals. Water helps generate power through two different processes, thermoelectric and hydroelectric. Thermoelectric plants, which convert water into steam by heating it with fossil or nuclear fuels, provide nearly 90 percent of U. S. electric power. Though the plants guzzle 131 gallons of water each day, only 3 percent of that is actually consumed; the remainder is poured back into lakes and rivers. Though never leaving the stream and thus not considered a "withdrawal," far more water is needed for hydroelectric power, which provides roughly 10 percent of U. S. electricity. Water from dammed reservoirs provides the gravity-driven force that turns turbines to energize dynamos.
| To produce one gallon of milk, a dairy cow must drink four gallons of water. It takes eight gallons of water to grow a tomato. |
Practiced extensively in the West, irrigation brings cotton to Arizona, potatoes to Idaho, tomatoes to California. About 40 percent of U. S. water withdrawals are spent on irrigation; in some areas more than 90 percent. Though it is seen mainly in the West, a growing number of southeastern farmers are turning to irrigation to increase yields and fight drought. Irrigated lands are disproportionately productive: Only about 5 percent of U. S. farmlands are irrigated, but they produce 20 percent of the value of farm products.
Large government subsidies have encouraged irrigated farming since the early 1900s. More recently water shortages, decreased subsidies, and rising costs of pumping water have pushed farmers to adopt more efficient irrigation practices -thus curbing western water use.
Farm animals and aquaculture account for only a small proportion about 3 percent-of agricultural water use. Since 1980 a growing fish-farm industry has doubled demand, traditionally limited to livestock.
| 300 million gallons of water are needed to produce a single day's supply of U. S. newsprint. |
It takes less water to forge steel, make paper, manufacture paint, and produce plastic than it used to. While U. S. output has quadrupled since 1950, industrial water use has dropped by 19 percent. Higher prices and stricter water-pollution laws have prodded industries to recycle water. The four largest industrial water users paper, petroleum, chemicals, and primary metals -have all cut back, by using processes that require less water and by using the same water several times.
More than 36 billion gallons of water each day feeds industrial demand. Of that, mines use about three billion gallons; 8.3 billion gallons supplies commercial users, including military bases, college campuses, office buildings, and restaurants.
| A typical U. S. toilet uses between 3.5 and 7 gallons per flush; low-flow toilets use 1.6 gallons or even less. |
Across the United States, people are using less water as they take showers, flush toilets, and water lawns. After climbing between 1960 and 1985, per capita domestic water use has declined slightly. Water conservation campaigns and new building codes are behind the change.
First viewed as a state and local matter, domestic water conservation has evolved into a national issue: Federal law now requires I manufacturers to produce only low-flow toilets and shower-heads. To cut down on lawn sprinklers and other garden water use, several states now encourage the use of landscaping techniques adapted to the local environment.
How much water will keep salmon swimming in the Columbia River? How many gallons make up a breathtaking river rapid? More and more states are recognizing the environmental and recreational uses of water. Especially in the West, laws now establish minimum stream flows to protect fish and wildlife habitat and meet the needs of swimmers, boaters, and other water enthusiasts.
| One penny buys 160 eight-ounce glasses of water in a typical U.S. community. |
In the U. S. we routinely waste water, and here's why: It still costs very little. But rising water prices since the early 1980s have spurred conservation efforts, and analysts say the trend is likely to continue. Across the country, utilities increasingly offer economic incentives for customers to save water. Because water resources and delivery systems differ vastly from region to region, so do pricing and conservation practices.
National Water Information Clearinghouse, U. S. Geological Survey, 423 National Center, Reston, VA 22092 U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Water Resource Center, RC 4100, 401 M St. S.W., Washington, D. C. 20460 Clean Water Information, Soil Conservation Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Room 0054-S, P.O. Box 2890, Washington, D. C. 20013
Source: Natonal Geographics, Special Edition - "Water" November 1993
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