Water Scarcity Awareness - Engaging in the Conservation Conversation

When you look at pictures of the Earth from outer space, it’s almost shocking to see how much of the surface is covered by water. How do we all fit on these little islands amidst these vast oceans and seas? At first glance, running out of water looks like the least of our worries! Of course, we know that much is salt water, leaving just a fraction suitable for human consumption. And rising temperatures mean that that fraction is getting smaller each year. As water worries and costs soar, conversations are increasingly turning to conservation. In this blog, we share the global challenges of water scarcity and wastage and discuss what practical measures individuals and communities can adopt to address these vital issues.

Protecting Our Precious Global Water Resources

71% of the Earth's surface is covered by water - so what’s all this fuss about shortages? Despite the seeming abundance of H2O on our planet, a mere 3% of it is freshwater, and a minuscule 0.4% is accessible to humans.¹ That’s more than 99% of Earth's water that is unusable by humans and many other living things.² 

Climate change has been identified as a key factor contributing to the shrinking of more than half of the world's large lakes and reservoirs, intensifying concerns about the availability of water for agriculture, hydropower, and human consumption.³ UNICEF warns that by 2025, water scarcity could affect two-thirds of the global population, potentially displacing 700 million people by 2030.⁴ As recent as November 28, 2023, data from the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor indicates that 36.05% of the contiguous United States—and 30.28% when including Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico—is experiencing moderate to exceptional drought conditions, underscoring the urgent need for attention to our water usage and management practices.

America's Domestic Water Consumption and Waste

The average American consumes over 100 gallons of water daily.⁵ Of that, a typical family wastes approximately 180 gallons per week, adding up to a staggering 9,400 gallons annually.⁶ Water wastage in American homes is largely driven by everyday activities, with outdoor usage being the biggest culprit. For instance, using a hose or sprinkler for just one hour equates to a family's daily water consumption,⁷ and although outdoor water use averages more than 30% of a household's total, it can spike to 60% in arid areas.⁸ 

Escalating Impact of Daily Household Leaks

It isn’t just watering lawns that are contributing to the waste. One of the most overlooked contributors to water wastage is household leaks. They waste almost 900 billion gallons of water annually nationwide. That's equal to the annual household water use of nearly 11 million homes. To put this into perspective, a single faucet dripping once per second in every U.S. household results in a staggering 928 million gallons of water lost daily. If the annoyance of listening to a leaky tap isn’t enough to prompt you to call a plumber, perhaps these stats will!

Know Your Household Water Usage

Fortunately, technology is available that is playing a role in raising awareness and empowering individuals to make a difference. KUBRA Dropcountr™ provides consumers with convenient web tools and a mobile app designed to increase their Water IQ. This includes insights into household water usage and real-time notifications of potential leaks.

Utilities also benefit from our cloud-based customer engagement and analytics solution, allowing them to understand their customers better and communicate directly through email, text messages, and push notifications.

Tackling Water Sustainability Through Personal Actions and Technology

The mounting challenges of water scarcity and wastage have global consequences, and America is very much a part of this pressing problem. The path to a sustainable water future calls for more awareness and a proactive approach toward water use among individuals. Implementing household conservation practices is an essential step toward making a difference. Likewise, utility companies have a responsibility to do what they can to mitigate these issues effectively by harnessing available technology. Together, through consumer behavioral changes and innovative utility management, we can preserve our most valuable resource for our needs today and for future generations. 

Request Demo

Sources: 

1. Water Facts - Worldwide Water Supply, Bureau of Reclamation. 
2.  Earth's Fresh Water, National Geographic.
3. Dickie, Gloria, More than half of the world's large lakes are drying up, study finds, Reuters, May 19, 2023.
4. Water scarcity - Addressing the growing lack of available water to meet children’s needs, UNICEF.
5. Water Facts, Department of Public Health.
6. Statistics and Facts, WaterSense, United States Environmental Protection Agency.
7. Your Water Usage, WSSCWater.
8. Statistics and Facts, WaterSense, United States Environmental Protection Agency.
9. Ibid.
10. Water Conservation Facts, THINK H2O.