Water Trivia:

How much water does it take to process a quarter pound of hamburger?
            Approximately one gallon.
How much water does it take to make four new tires?
            2,072 gallons
What is the total amount of water used to manufacture a new car, including new tires?
            39,090 gallons per car
How many households use private wells for their water supply?
            17,000,000 households
Water is the only substance found on earth naturally in the three forms.
            True (solid, liquid, and gas)
Does water regulate the earth's temperature?
            Yes (it is a natural insulator)
How long can a person live without food?
            More than a month
How long can a person live without water?
            Approximately one week, depending upon conditions.
How much water must a person consume per day to maintain health?
            2.5 quarts from all sources (i.e., water, food)
How much water does a birch tree give off per day in evaporation?
            70 gallons
How much water does an acre of corn give off per day in evaporation?
            4,000 gallons
How many miles of pipeline and aqueducts are in the US and Canada?
            Approximately one million miles, or enough to circle the earth 40 times
What were the first water pipes made from in the US?
            Fire charred bored logs
How much water is used to flush a toilet?
            2-7 gallons
How much water is used in the average five-minute shower?
            25-50 gallons
How much water is used to brush your teeth?
            2 gallons
How much water is used on the average for an automatic dishwasher?
            9-12 gallons
On the average, how much water is used to hand wash dishes?
            20 gallons
How many community public water systems are there in the United States?
            56,000
How much water do these utilities process daily?
            34 billion gallons
Of the nation's community water supplies, how many are investor-owned?
            32,500
How much water does the average residence use during a year?
            107,000 gallons
How much water does an individual use daily?
            50 gallons
What does a person pay for water on a daily basis?
            National average is 25 cents
How much of the earth's surface is water?
            80%
Of all the earth's water, how much is ocean or seas?
            97%
How much of the world's water is frozen and therefore unusable?
            2%
How much of the earth's water is suitable for drinking water?
            1%
Is it possible for me to drink water that was part of the dinosaur era?
            Yes
If all community water systems had to be replaced, what would it cost?
            In excess of $175 billion
What does it cost to operate the water systems throughout the country annually?
            Over $3.5 billion
How much does one gallon of water weigh?
            8.34 pounds
How many gallons of water would it take to cover one square mile with one foot of water?
            219 million gallons
How much water is in one cubic foot?
            7.48 gallons
How many gallons of water do you get per acre, when it rains one inch?
            27,000 gallons per acre
At what temperature does water freeze?
            32 degrees F, 0 degrees C
At what temperature does water vaporize?
            212 degree F, 100 degrees C
What is the most common substance found on earth?
            Water
How much of the human body is water?
            66%
How much of a chicken is water?
            75%
How much of a pineapple is water?
            80%
How much of a tomato is water?
            95%
How much of an elephant is water?
            70%
How much of an ear of corn is water?
            80%
How much water does it take to process one chicken?
            11.6 gallons
How much water does it take to process one can of fruit or vegetables?
            9.3 gallons
How much water does it take to process one barrel of beer?
            1,500 gallons
How much water does it take to make one board foot of lumber?
            5.4 gallons
How much water does it take to make one pound of plastic ?
            24 gallons
How much water does it take to make one pound of wool or cotton?
            101 gallons
How much water does it take to refine one barrel of crude oil?
            1,851 gallons
How much does it take to produce one ton of steel?
            62,600 gallons
How much water does it take to process one ton of cane sugar to make processed sugar?
            28,100 gallons
How much water does it take to process one ton of beet sugar to make processed sugar?
            33,100 gallons

The world's largest rodent is the Capybara. An Amazon water hog that looks like a guinea pig, it can weigh more than 100 pounds.

There are fewer than 1,000 Bactrian camels left in the wild. They have survived in a land with no water in an area used for nuclear testing. Their numbers, however, are falling dramatically as humans encroach farther and farther into China's Gobi Desert.

To prevent waste, overeating, and pollution of the water, feed the fish in an aquarium twice a day an amount that takes them five minutes to completely clean up.

Tunas will suffocate if they ever stop swimming. They need a continual flow of water across their gills to breathe, even while they rest.

Unlike most fish, electric eels cannot get enough oxygen from water. Approximately every five minutes, they must surface to breathe, or they will drown. Unlike most fish, they can swim both backwards and forwards.

The blue fin tuna swims with its mouth partly open, relying on ramjet ventilation, unlike slower fish, which force water through their gills to remove oxygen and release carbon dioxide. Since seawater contains only about 2.5 percent as much oxygen it needs from the volume of water flowing through its mouth, the blue fin has proportionately one of the largest gill areas of any fish.

The bottlenose dolphin is longer in United Kingdom waters (measuring up to 410 cm, or 13.45 feet, length) than those off the coast of Florida (up to 270 cm, or 8.85 feet, in length).

The common carp lives up to 25 years in the wild, and up to 40 years in captivity. The durable fish can survive in waters up to 90º F, and can even withstand freezing for short periods.

The electric eel lives in the Amazon River and its tributaries in South America. The rivers churn up a lot of mud and the eels cannot see well in them. Two less powerful electric fish are the electric catfish and ray. Electric rays live in warm ocean water, and they can give off a charge of sufficient force to stun a human. The biggest electric ray, the Atlantic torpedo ray, can weigh 200 pounds.

LEAK FACTS

A 1/8 inch hole in a metal pipe, at 40 psi, leaks 2500 gal of water/24 hrs

A leak the size of a pinhead can waste 360,000 gal/yr, enough to fill 12,000 bathtubs to the overflow mark

A leaking toilet can use 90,000 gal of water in 30 days

A dripping faucet/hose bibb can lose up to 180 gallons a month, 2160 gallons per year

Approximately 1 in every 20 pools has a leak

Approximately 1 in every 318 homes or buildings has a leak

A typical toilet leak at today's rate can add $500 to a single water bill

One trip through the car wash uses 150 gallons of drinking water.

Collecting water for gardening from the faucet while waiting for hot water saves about 250 gallons of water a month.

Using a broom to to clean the sidewalk instead of a hose waves 150 gallons on water.

Using a pool cover prevents about 1,000 gallons per month from evaporating.

Facts provided by American Leak Detection and Water Online.