Think you’re up to par on your water facts?
Bet.
There’s a ton of interesting facts about water that people have no clue about. Some facts are utterly shocking, while others can be horrifying.
Some facts may even change the way you live your life!
Check out these 10 facts about water you probably never knew!
1. Most of Earth’s Fresh Water Resides in Glaciers
It may be surprising when you consider all of the freshwater sources such as lakes, rivers, and streams around the world, but it’s true.
Most of our fresh water, 68.7% in fact, is trapped frozen in glaciers.
The problem to solve, however, is how to tap into those water stores. Scientists agree that we will eventually run into global water shortages. When we do, at least we will know where to get it, even if we don’t know how.
2. Chlorine, a Catch 22
Here’s an amazing fact about water: did you know that almost all water that comes out of your faucet has varying levels of chlorine in it?
On some level, chlorine is a necessity in our public water systems. It is very efficient at killing bacteria and disease, keeping us from contracting all kinds of illnesses.
However, the problem arises when the chlorine remains in the water that we drink and bathe in. Chlorine can cause skin irritation and dryness, and that’s if you’re not allergic to it.
Chronic chlorine exposure through ingestion can lead to cancer, heart disease and other illnesses, and even death.
Fortunately, filtering out chlorine in water isn’t difficult. There are plenty of filtration products out there to filter your drinking and bathing water.
3. Drinking Too Much Water Can Actually Kill You
As phenomenal as it sounds, if you drink too much water in a short period of time, it could be fatal.
Obviously, we all know that lack of water can lead to serious health issues and even death, but not everyone knows the opposite to be true.
Water intoxication or hyponatremia flushes out the sodium in your body, creating an imbalance in the fluids in and around your cells. This causes your cells to swell, including the cells in your brain, leading to serious trouble.
4. It Costs 1,799 Gallons of Water to Produce One Pound of Beef
The next time you feel yourself becoming concerned about the lack of clean drinking water around the world, perhaps it’s time to take a look in the mirror.
What did you have for dinner last night?
If it was any form of beef, you are contributing to excess water being used at sensational levels. A single pound of beef requires 1,799 Gallons of water. Note, that is not a single head of cattle, but a single pound of beef.
All of the water used to water the cow and grow the cow’s food is taken into this equation.
Some people prefer not to know about certain water facts, this is probably one of them.
5. On Average, Americans Use 100 Gallons of Water A Day
While studies vary across the board, most of them agree that Americans use more water than is necessary.
On average, we definitely use more water than in other countries. Most states in America don’t have to worry about water control. Out of sight, out of mind.
However, our excess water usage is quite wasteful and avoidable. This doesn’t even account for a leaky faucet or toilets and sprinklers accidentally left running.
We should all try to be a little more cognizant of our water usage.
6. 60-70% of Your Body is Water
Of all the interesting facts about water, this one is most known, but for good reason. Our bodies feel solid and sturdy, so how can they be made primarily of water?
The answer literally lies within our cells. Our bodies are made up of trillions of them and each one is about 70% water!
If you do the math, 37 trillion multiplied by 70%…yeah, that’s a lot of water regardless of how small cells are.
7. More Water is Used to Produce a Single Plastic Water Bottle Than What the Bottle Actually Holds
One of the more disturbing facts about water is that a tremendous amount of water is used to produce a single plastic water bottle.
In fact, studies indicate that 5 to 11 times more water is used to produce a bottle than is actually held by the bottle.
This waste comes from the filtration process, the manufacturing of the bottle, and any fuel used during the entire bottling process.
Try for a less wasteful tact on drinking filtered water, look to filters rather than bottled water.
8. 80% of America’s Water Is Used for Agriculture
American agriculture is a booming business. We have a lot of mouths to feed after all!
Insanely, 80% of our water here in the U.S. is pumped into producing food. As mentioned above. However, it is not as straightforward as it sounds.
The majority of water in agriculture is used to feed our food unless you’re vegan that is. Animal agriculture (meat and dairy) accounts for 36-74 trillion gallons of water a year just in America!
To put it in perspective, if a person were to swear off meat and dairy, their individual water consumption would drop by over 50%.
9. America Will Never Run Dry
Despite the aforementioned frivolity of American water usage in the U.S., we will never run out.
America has more than enough renewable freshwater stores. These freshwater sources include lakes, rivers, underground water, atmospheric water, and several more.
In the land of the free, we won’t ever feel the desperation associated with lack of water. Unfortunately, that means we are less likely to be motivated to help those who are. It is merely something we will never understand.
10. One of the Most Important Facts About Water: The World May Be Running out of It
This leads to perhaps the most impactful of all facts about water. Scientists agree the world at large is running out of water.
Already, 2.1 billion people around the world don’t have access to clean drinking water. Among many other things, lack of clean water leads to disease, famine, dehydration, and death.
By 2030, however, world leaders agree that 700 million people could be forced to relocate due to water scarcities.
The chaos of the mass relocation would lead to more issues with immigration and refugees, as well as possible global conflicts.
As the water shortages get worse, wars may very well ensue over control of well-hydrated lands.
Time will tell.
Well, That Was Interesting
Now that you know more interesting facts about water, what are you going to do with them?
Fun and interesting facts can serve to entertain and to inform. Sometimes all you need to make a change is just a little knowledge!
For more life hacks, tips and fun facts, check out the rest of our blog!