Freshwater Society

	Water Facts	The Minnesota Weatherguide Environment^TM Calendar
	There is approximately the same amount of water on Earth today as there was when the Earth was formed. Water is continually recycled in the Earth's hydrologic cycle (see diagram). The dinosaurs once drank the same molecules that are in your faucet. Nearly 97% of the world's water is saltwater or otherwise undrinkable. Another 2% is held in ice caps and glaciers. That leaves just one percent for all of humanity's needs - agricultural, residential, manufacturing, and community needs. (United States Geological Survey) Water regulates the Earth's temperature. It also regulates the temperature of the human body, carries nutrients and oxygen to cells, cushions joints, and protects organs and tissues. The human brain is 75% water. Human blood is 83% water and bones are 25% water. (American Water Works Association) Each day, the sun evaporates 1,000,000,000,000 (one trillion) tons of water. (United States Geological Survey) In a one hundred year period, an average water molecule spends 98 years in the ocean, 20 months as ice, about two weeks in lakes and rivers, and less than a week in the atmosphere. Groundwater can stay polluted for several thousand years. At least 1 billion people must walk three hours or more to obtain drinking water. Nearly 2% of U.S. homes have no running water. In Mexico, 15% of the population must haul or carry water. (National Geographic Society) Households turn on water faucets an average of 70 times daily. It is estimated that up to 50% of the water families use could be saved by implementing simple conservation methods. (National Drinking Water Alliance) One inch of rain falling on one acre of land is equal to about 27,154 gallons of water. (United States Geological Survey) The 250 million U.S. residents living today have access to about the same amount of water as U.S. residents did 200 years ago, when the population was four million. (National Drinking Water Alliance) If present consumption patterns continue, two out of every three persons on Earth will live in water-stressed conditions by the year 2025. (United Nations Environment Program)
	How to Help Protect Freshwater
	Conserve Limit the time you spend watering the lawn, showering, running the garbage disposal, and running faucets. Fix leaky faucets. One drip a second can waste 2,000 gallons a year. Buy water-efficient plumbing fixtures. If all plumbing fixtures in the United States were replaced with water-conserving fixtures, we could save 3.4 to 8.4 billion gallons of water a day. Use moderate amounts of low phosphate cleaners and detergents. Eliminate the use of drain cleaners. Use recycled products. Protect Wash your car on the lawn instead of the driveway. Water that lands on an impermeable surface, such as pavement, flows through the watershed to the nearest body of water and deposits its contaminants. Your lawn, on the other hand, can trap and break down most foreign agents. Limit the use of lawn fertilizers, and be sure to use only phosphorus-free lawn fertilizers. Most lawns already have sufficient phosphorus, and when more is added it runs through the watershed and causes algae growth in surrounding lakes. Learn Realize that many human activities affect water quality. Wetlands, groundwater, and waterways are destroyed by construction, polluted runoff, and spills. Population growth only intensifies these impacts. Become an educated consumer. Buy recycled, environmentally friendly products. Learn to recognize and become knowledgeable about aquatic nuisance species. Exotic invaders (such as Eurasian watermilfoil, zebra mussels, and thousands more) cause habitat destruction, decrease biological diversity, and cause millions of dollars of damage in the United States each year. Change Rethink your daily habits and help reduce water pollution and water use. Bike, walk, or carpool to help reduce the production of toxic air pollutants that cause acid rain. Turn down the water heater temperature and the home thermostat to reduce your energy usage and help curb pollutants that cause acid rain. Finally, share your knowledge with others. Try to remember that our actions have a widespread impact on the lasting quality of freshwater resources. We can and must make a difference.

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