Growing Demand

Freshwater is always in high demand, and the supply available for our use is extremely limited. At the same time, the global population continue to grow – the United Nations projects that our planet will be home to 11.2 billion people by 2100. We are also demanding and consuming more products than ever before. The world’s freshwater resources are under strain. Are you doing your part to understand and address how much you use? 

Protecting freshwater health means managing pollutants, tackling climate change, and fixing broken city infrastructure. It also requires us to take a serious look at how we choose to use and consume this precious resource. 

From simple household needs to growing food to manufacturing computers, we need freshwater for just about everything we use and consume – it’s unavoidable. As more and more people depend on freshwater, we can’t afford to maintain the status quo. 

At an individual level, this can mean taking practical actions at home, such as:

• Limiting your showers
  
  
• Turning off the tap when you brush
  
  
• Flushing only when necessary

Another step would be to review the products you use and consider their water footprint. How much water did it take to produce, package, and ship these items?

More and more, brands and companies are waking up to water scarcity and quality challenges and making significant changes to their manufacturing processes. This is where your choices come into play. Are there similar products that make competitive and credible claims about their water use? Can you use your personal economic activity to make decisions that contribute to freshwater health? 

If every person in North America reduced their water use by just 10 gallons per day—equivalent to taking one less 5-minute shower or fixing a small household leak—the collective impact would be staggering: 

Over 3.65 trillion gallons of water saved per year! 

That’s enough to supply water to over 100 million people annually or fill more than 5.5 million Olympic-sized swimming pools.   

Reduces strain on freshwater sources and helps combat water scarcity.

• Lowers energy consumption, as less water needs to be treated and transported.
  
  
• Cuts household water bills, saving both individuals and communities money.
  
  
• One small change per person adds up to a massive difference. Every drop counts!