It took 322 million gallons of water to satisfy the insatiable need for water in the United States last year.
This research on water consumption is undertaken every five years with the next study set for this year. Without a doubt, the rates of water consumption currently are way higher than the last five years considering many factors including population growth.
What exactly is water used for in the United States? Well, water is life and you’ll be shocked at the many purposes it’s used for in the USA. Here are cool facts about water, some are simply dumbfounding.
Cool Facts About Water You Should Know
You probably see water running from your faucet but never pay much attention. What you don’t know is that there are many cool facts about water that will shock you if you paid closer attention.
1. The Human Body Is Made Up of 50–65% Water
How so? You may wonder.
Well, adult men are on average 60% water while women are 50% water. Water plays the most crucial role in the human body, which perhaps explains the common assertion that water is life.
Did you know that your lungs are about 83% water?
The human brain, lungs, and skin also comprise about 60% water. Your body relies on water to achieve the various cells, organs, and tissue-related functions. For this reason, the human body uses significant levels of water in the course of breathing, sweating and digesting.
2. Water Covers Around 70.9% of the Earth’s Surface
With more than 70% of the earth covered in water, you can bet that our planet is a watery place. Interestingly, water is on and in the earth, which means that there is a considerable amount of water volume we won’t ever see.
Despite the earth being 71% water, more than 96% of this water is actually saline. This means that only about 4% of the water on the phase of the earth is fresh.
The groundwater seepage supports 96% or so of the water in the oceans. Interestingly, much of the freshwater on earth is consolidated more on the underground, than in rivers, oceans, and lakes.
3. Pure Water Has No Smell and No Taste
Would you really describe the taste of water? How would you define the smell of pure water?
The interesting reality is that water is odorless and tasteless. From a scientific point of view, water has an equal concentration of H+ and OH- Ions, which is the basis for the pH level of 7.
With such a balanced PH level, it’s easy to know when your water is not fresh. If your water has an odor or has a certain peculiar taste, then you should know that it’s not pure water.
4. Water Is the Only Naturally Occurring Substance in Three Distinct Forms
You can have water as a liquid, solid or in gas form.
There isn’t any other substance on earth that can exist in three distinct forms.
Water in its natural form is liquid. However, when water is under extremely cold conditions, it can easily solidify into ice or glaciers.
The greatest percentage of the earth’s water is actually in solid form.
Water can also exist in gaseous form. Vapor and naturally occurring air are also the other forms of water as gas.
5. Americans Use Over 100, 000 Gallons of Water Annually
This may seem quite a lot but imagine the routine water needs in a household on a normal day. Water is used for more than just the mundane basic needs in a home.
An average home uses water to cultivate gardens and flowers.
You may not believe the amount of water a normal household uses on an average day until you take a cumulative assessment. Imagine for instance, that a drip per second in a faucet can leak more than 3000 gallons in one year.
6. It Takes 39,090 Gallons of Water to Manufacture a Car
You probably assume that you only need metal and other car accessories to manufacture a car.
Imagine more than 39,000 gallons of water going into the process of making a car. Now imagine how much more water is used in the car manufacturing industry on a normal day.
7. It Takes More Than 2,641 Gallons of Water to Make a Pair of Jeans
Shocking as it may seem, your pair of jeans cost the universe more than 2,641 gallons of water.
Imagine the millions of pairs of jeans manufactured globally each year. Now figure out the total volume of water used to support the processes in the apparel industry.
8. It takes 6.3 Gallons of Water to Make 17 Ounces of Plastic
Perhaps this is one of the reasons for the renewed calls to ban the use of plastics.
With high dependence on plastics, the earth may end up suffering a double tragedy. First, the environmental damage caused by plastics is extreme.
Secondly, using more than 6.3 gallons of water for 17 ounces of plastic has notable negative implications on the world’s water stores.
9. Water Is a Critical Component in Water Jet Technology
There is a new innovation in town that has most veterans smiling. The water jet technology utilizes water in extremely high pressure to create an improvised explosive device used to cut materials with precision and accuracy.
With this technology companies don’t incur much in terms of production costs. Read more now on this evolving commercial use of water.
The Statement “Water Is Life” Couldn't Truer
Nothing is comparable to the usefulness of water in our society, and it's only getting more important each year.
Have you been wondering how valuable water is beyond the mundane basic uses of water in the household setting?
Well, beyond cooking and showering, water can be a critical resource in supporting technological innovations in various industries.
Were you aware of these cool facts about water? Explore the rest of our blog for more insightful content. Visit the Tech section of our site right now!