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Fresh Water is Growing Scarce |
The Problem: Clean and readily available fresh water -- surface and groundwater -- is growing scarce. Less than 1% of the Earth's water is available as drinking water; the rest is either seawater, frozen, or too deep underground to reach. In the United States we use around 89 billion gallons of groundwater each day. Half of our population gets drinking water from groundwater; 40% of drinking water may come from contaminated wells. One fourth of our groundwater withdrawals exceed natural replacement rates from rainfall.
The Cause: The irrigation of crops accounts for around two-thirds of groundwater depletion. Inefficient practices, which lead to over-watering, evaporation or leaking cause less than half the irrigation water to contribute to the growth of crops. More than half of the water consumed in the United States is used to grow feed for livestock. Contamination of fresh water is caused by industrial waste, agricultural runoff and inadequate waste disposal practices. In coastal areas, depletion of groundwater allows intrusion of seawater, and contributes significantly to groundwater contamination. Population growth and increased development will lead to a greater need for fresh water in the future.
You Can Help: Become informed about the source of your water and how your actions affect fresh water. Use water sparingly within and outside of your home. Properly dispose of wastes so that they do not contaminate fresh water sources.
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