Categories: Quick Tips

Friday Quickie: Take your Water Footprint! (& Improve your habits, dammit!)

Did you know that globally 70% of water used is for agriculture?  Were you aware that 1 in 3 people worldwide are affected by water scarcity?

Although water problems may seem foreign to us, water conservation is still essential here in our hometown.  As we pointed out on our Twitter feed, yesterday (March 22) was World Water Day, which focuses on the sustainability & importance of freshwater.

Assess your household’s water usage with the Water Footprint Calculator.  It’s a fun and interactive quiz that asks you a variety of questions (I switched answers just to see their other cartoons!)  The average American uses 1190 gallons of water per day!

Readers, share with us in the comments how much water you use. How do you plan on reducing your water use? Turning off the faucet or shower? Switch to bar soap? I’ll start by confessing: I use 614 gallons/day (according to the calc) but definitely could turn off the water more while showering.

 

Pic courtesy of laist.

Julie Hancher

Julie Hancher is Editor-in-Chief of Green Philly, sharing her expertise of all things sustainable in the city of brotherly love. She enjoys long walks in the park with local beer and greening her travels, cooking & cat, Sir Floofus Drake.

Share
Published by
Julie Hancher

Recent Posts

Greening Avenue of the Arts, July 4th heat wave, & more

Catch up on the latest sustainability news: New beautification efforts along Broad Street. Construction of…

2 days ago

Urban trees aren’t just nice, scientists say — they’re mandatory

"This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist's weekly newsletter here." They…

3 days ago

Mussels clean canal, new housing budget, & more

Catch up on the latest sustainability news: Mussels clean the Manayunk Canal. Once trash-filled and…

1 week ago

Dinosaur Trail path to connect Gloucester County towns and institutions

A multi-use trail would allow pedestrians and bikes to travel from Rowan University to the…

1 week ago

Floatlab on Schuylkill, PGW debates electric vs gas future, new pedestrian safety measures & more

Catch up on the latest sustainability news:  Heat health emergency ends. Last week, the Department…

2 weeks ago

Aging infrastructure, extreme weather, and pollution: Why drinking water is under pressure

Pennsylvania’s century-old water infrastructure faces modern climate threats. Here’s why it’s complicated. The U.S. has…

2 weeks ago