Water Facts

Water in the Environment

• Water is the only substance that occurs at ordinary temperatures in all three phases: liquid, gas and solid
• 75% of the earth’s surface is covered by water
• The oceans contain 97.5% of the earth’s water, the land 2.4%, and the atmosphere holds less than .001%
• Only 1% of the earth’s water is available for drinking; 2% is frozen
• Fifty-ninety percent of the weight of living organisms is made up of water.  Blood in animals and sap in plants is mostly water.
• The average urban home of 4.6 people uses 640 litres of water per day
• A dripping tap can waste as much as 60 litres per day or 1,800 litres per month
• A leaking toilet can waste up to 100,000 litres of water per year, enough to take three full baths every day
• It takes about 2.5 litres of water to cook pasta and about 5 litres to clean the pot
• The average bath holds between 150 and 200 litres of water when filled to the brim
• A toilet is the biggest user of indoor water.  On average, it uses 11 litres of water when flushed