Water use per person in the U.S. is down nearly 30 percent from consumption levels thirty years ago — the remarkable result of more efficient use.
Numbers on total water use released last week by the U.S Geological Survey, which every five years examines water use of all kinds, residential, commercial, agricultural and industrial, also show that the nation used slightly less water in 2005 than it did in 2000.
“This is stunning news,” says Dr. Peter Gleick, President of the Pacific Institute, in a San Francisco Chronicle column on Thursday:
“We are growing more food with less water, and irrigation demand is down. We are producing more goods and services with less water, and industrial demand is down. It used to take 200 tons of water to make a ton of steel. Now steel plants in the U.S. use less than 20 tons of water to make a ton of steel — a 90% reduction.”
Photo courtesy of Sun Star
This is great news- thanks for posting, Geri!:-)