New Research Shows Most Americans Unaware of Their Daily Water Consumption According to new research conducted by global research agency Opinium on behalf of American Water, Americans underestimate the amount of water they use daily by 90 percent. Most Americans believe they use less than 100 gallons of water each day, when the actual number is more than 2,000 gallons on average, according to the Water Footprint Network. This figure considers the water consumed by individuals directly (e.g., dishwashing or watering the lawn) and indirectly (e.g., the water required to produce food and manufacture various consumer items). With the majority of Americans underestimating their own personal water usage, the study also found a lack of awareness for water consumption in other areas of their lives as well. The survey asked a nationally representative sample of more than 2,000 adults in the United States to reflect on their daily water consumption and how much water is required to produce many common items that are consumed daily. The findings revealed that—regardless of gender, socioeconomic background, homeownership, or age— Americans are largely unaware of just how large their water footprint is and the variety of ways water impacts their everyday lives.
Survey Shows More Education is Needed “We all know water is a vital part of our daily lives for drinking and basic hygiene, but we often don’t consider the water needed to produce the foods we eat or even the clothes we wear,” said Dr. Lauren Weinrich, principal scientist for water research and development at American Water. “As part of our commitment to provide clean, safe, and reliable drinking water for our customers, it’s important to raise public awareness of the true value of water. During the yearly Imagine a Day Without Water event, we want to help educate our customers on the importance of water, but also give them ways they can participate in the efforts to support water efficiency and conservation.” Imagine a Day Without Water is an education campaign held every fall that brings together diverse stakeholders to highlight how water is essential, invaluable, and in need of investment. It includes events, resolutions, student contests, social media engagement, and more, all across the U.S. The Opinium study revealed various underestimations by Americans of water consumption for products they likely use every day. S Almost 90 million Americans believe it takes no water at all to make a pair of jeans. In
6 February 2022 • Florida Water Resources Journal
reality, a new pair of jeans requires around 2,600 gallons to make. S It takes 713 gallons of water to make a new cotton t-shirt to pair with those jeans. Americans believe it takes just 136 gallons. S Americans believe it takes 158 gallons of water to produce a smartphone, but the actual amount is more than 3,400 gallons. Americans just enjoyed last fall’s many holiday events—like gathering around the table for family dinners. Most people, however, aren’t aware of just how much water goes into producing their favorite foods. Americans drastically underestimate the water needed to make them. S One 16-pound holiday turkey takes 4,688 gallons versus an estimated 158 gallons. S A pecan pie takes 1,068 gallons versus the estimated 135 gallons and a pumpkin pie takes 458 gallons versus the estimated 135 gallons. S The traditional green bean casserole—with fried onions on top—takes 547 gallons of water to hit the holiday dinner table versus the estimated 116 gallons.
Conservation Tips The study also showed that nine out of 10 Americans are likely to try at least one new habit Continued on page 8
