The Covenant Blog

Mar 26

Written by: Covenant Health Systems
3/26/2012 2:56 PM 

Since 1993, International World Water Day has been held annually on March 22nd by the United Nations as a means of focusing attention on the importance of fresh water and advocating for the sustainable management of fresh water resources.

Water Facts

Important facts about the world’s fresh water supply – our most precious natural resource:

• Up to three quarters of the Earth's surface is covered with water but less than 0.03% is drinkable.

• Producing 35 cubic feet (1 cubic meter) of drinkable water through desalination reverse osmosis (the process of forcing salty water through a membrane to remove the salt) requires about 2 kWh of electricity. Although that’s down from 5 to 10 kWh 20 years ago, it is still energy intensive.

• Urbanization and demographic changes pose serious challenges to secure water supplies for future generations, as humans use more and more water each year.

• Today, 1.2 billion people are without clean drinking water and 2.4 billion people are not connected to wastewater systems.

• The United Nations estimates more than 3 billion people may suffer from water shortages by the year 2025.

• As population grows, the demand on our water resources is challenged to keep up.

• More than a billion people in water poor regions around the globe survive on the same amount used to flush a toilet or take a 5-minute shower, just over 1gallon (5 liters) of water each day.

• Each day almost 10,000 children under the age of 5 in Third World countries die as a result of illnesses contracted by use of impure water.

• Even though each person only requires about 13 gallons (48 liters) of water on a daily basis, individuals in the United States use an average of 132 gallons (500 liters), those in Canada an average of 79 gallons (300 liters) and those in England an average of 52 gallons (200 liters).

• To manufacture new cars 39,000 gallons (148,000 liters) of water are used per car.

• Water and energy are critical, mutually dependent resources – the production of energy requires large volumes of water and water treatment requires large amounts of energy.
  
  From Siemens Water Technologies

Covenant Health Systems has engaged in many initiatives around our use of natural resources and the environment.  To learn more, e-mail info@covenanths.org .