What’s Your Water Footprint?
Yesterday afternoon, my husband (who found out when he went to take a shower and was unable to do so) called to tell me the water had temporarily been shut off in our apartment building. I told him it wasn’t that big a deal, and that he could just take a shower later that night after the water came back. A short while later, I arrived home and, without thinking, went to make myself a cup of tea. No water! I forgot again and a few minutes later, tried to wash my hands. Still–nothing coming out of the sink! My husband, meanwhile, was still sitting on the couch with a towel wrapped around his waist, waiting to take his shower.
The point of this story? Fresh water is a very precious resource, and most of us in this part of the world take it for granted.
Created by the Water Footprint Network, Waterfootprint.org was designed to help people determine the amount of water they use on a daily basis. (Sound familiar? It’s very similar to the carbon footprint concept, whereby people figure out how much CO2 they’re emitting into the atmosphere.)
The water footprint calculator–which is exactly what it sounds like–isn’t just concerned with things like baths, showers, brushing your teeth, or washing dishes. It also takes into account where you live, the food you eat (it takes about 70 liters of water to produce an apple, while a kilogram of beef requires close to 1,550 liters), and gross yearly income.
My water footprint? 540 cubic meters per year, which I’m proud to say is less than half of the global average (I attribute my success to a vegan diet and minimal car usage). What about your score? If it’s higher than you’d like (or than you’d expected!) what are ways your family can make it lower?
-Marygrace, KIWI Staffer
Tags: conserving water, water
2 comments
Really interesting idea. I have friends in the Southwest with their own wells so awareness of their water usage and how to consume responsibly is top of mind. However, many of us are not in similar situation, so aren’t as aware as we should. Thanks for posting this.
Agreed! Before moving from New Jersey to Texas, water preservation and drought-like conditions weren’t something I heard about all that frequently. However, it seems like a lot of places in the southwest are in a perpetual state of drought, and it’s imperative that water be used wisely. Hopefully people in other parts of the country will consider this as well!
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