While 70% of the Earth is covered in water, only 0.4 percent of it is accessible fresh water to be shared by some 7 billion people.1 In America, regional droughts can amplify the relative water scarcity. Our consumption can also lead to overuse of the resource from rivers, lakes, watersheds and other freshwater sources.
That’s the big picture. Now let’s zero in on the typical American household. Your family might use about 130,000 gallons a water a year.2 The good news is that by better understanding your water use and a few simple and painless ways to cut back, you might save about 35 percent of your family’s consumption. That translates to an annual savings of around 44,000 gallons.2
Remember, that’s just the conservation contribution of a single American household.