Surprising Water Facts

Due to our strategic location in Northeast Ohio, Shaker Lakes Garden Club has an on-going conservation theme for conserving water and protecting the Great Lakes.

As SLGC Conservation Chair, I am sharing some facts about water that I have uncovered in my research:

• Our water footprint includes direct usage and indirect usage.
• It takes 37 gallons of water to grow and process coffee beans for one cup of coffee.
• It takes 120 gallons to produce one egg.
• About 6800 gallons of water is required to grow one day’s food for a family of four.
• A low flow toilet can save near 5 gallons of water per flush.
• Automatic dishwashers use roughly 9 – 12 gallons of water per cycle while hand washing uses up to 20 gallons.
• A leaky faucet can waste 90 – 100 gallons of water each day.
• Water weighs 8 pounds per gallon.
• Water expands by 9% when it freezes.
• 85% of the world’s population lives in the driest half of the planet.
• If the entire world’s water were fit into a 4 liter jug, the fresh water available for us would equal only about one tablespoon.
• If everyone in the US used just one less gallon of water per shower each day, we could save 85 billion gallons of water per year.
• Eight flushes with a low flow toilet saves as much water as it takes to process that one cup of coffee.
• Every drop counts and simple measures can make a difference so let’s be aware of our usage and make a positive impact!