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How do we use it?
General
 Global
- Up to 60% of the human body is water – the brain is composed of 70% water, blood is 82% water, and the lungs are nearly 90% water.
Your very own body of water [249 Kb]
- Water use in the 20th century increased more than sixfold, and continues to increase about twice as fast as the human population is increasing.
- Currently, on a global basis, 69% of all water withdrawn for human use on an annual basis is soaked up by agriculture (mostly in the form of irrigation); industry accounts for 23% and domestic use (household, drinking water, sanitation) accounts for about 8%. These global averages vary a great deal between regions. In Africa, for instance, agriculture consumes 88% of all water withdrawn for human use, while domestic use accounts for 7% and industry for 5%. In Europe, most water is used in industry (54%), while agriculture and domestic use take 33% and 13% respectively.
Competing water uses [282 Kb]
- The current average North American diet requires over 1 800 m3 of water per person per year from both natural rainfall and irrigation; the diet of an average African living in the sub-Saharan region is produced with less than 650 m3 of water per person per year.
Recommended basic water requirements*
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Water requirements
(litres per capita per day) |
| Drinking water | 5 |
| Sanitation services | 20 |
| Bathing | 15 |
| Food preparation** | 10 |
*Assume moderate climatic conditions and average activity levels.
**Excluding water required to grow food. Rough estimate of water needed to grow the daily food requirements of one person: 2700 litres.
- A child born in the developed world consumes thirty to fifty times the water resources that a child in the developing world consumes.
- Canada ranks 2nd out of 147 countries on the Water Poverty Index. The study, released in March 2003, uses five criteria – resources, access, capacity, use, and environment – to assess each country. One of the main purposes of the Index is to demonstrate the strong correlation between poverty and water.
A broader perspective on water [263 Kb]
 Canada
- Total annual freshwater withdrawal is 44 720 mcm/year (less than 2% of runoff) of which 64% is for thermal power generation, 14% for manufacturing, 12% for municipal use, 9% for agriculture, and 1% for mining.
Freshwater withdrawals [350 Kb]
- Canada's freshwater resources help drive the nation's economy, contributing directly to its agriculture, forestry, inland fisheries, hydroelectric energy, mining, hydrocarbon extraction, and transportation, as well as recreation and tourism. Primary industries accounted for nearly 6% of the GDP in 2000, accounting for over $45 billion and employing more than 650 000 people.
- It takes 39 090 gallons (about 148 000 litres) of water to manufacture a new car, including new tires.
- It takes 62 600 gallons of water to produce one ton of steel.
That's about 215 000 litres of water to produce one metric ton of steel.
Giving new meaning to the term "liquid steel" [73 Kb]
- It takes 9.3 gallons (about 35 litres) of water to process one can of fruit or vegetables.
- It takes nearly 14 gallons (about 53 litres) of water to grow a medium-sized orange (4.6 ounces/130 grams) and to prepare it, in a packing plant, for market.
That better be a REALLY juicy orange [223 Kb]
- It takes 48.3 gallons (about 183 litres) of water to produce one eight-ounce glass of milk when you add together the amounts of water needed to provide food and water for the cows, to keep the dairy barns clean, and to process the milk.
- It takes about 45% more water to make a slice of white bread (10.6 gallons/40 litres) than a slice of brown bread (7.3 gallons/28 litres) because more flour is used and because that flour requires more processing to remove the brown colour.
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