Water, Water Every Where: A Three-Part Fright
“Water, water, every where,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink.”
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 1834
Water, water everywhere…
The average American family used 80-100 gallons per day per person.
The average family size is four. Let’s split the difference and multiply 4 x 90 gallons + 32,850 gallons a year x 4 = 131,400 gallons per family.
Water, Water everywhere…
I am about to shave. I will use a gallon of water. If only 20 million shavers shaved three times a week, they would use 3.1 billion gallons a year.
Water, Water everywhere…
I gave the kids a bath the other day. Girls first, then the boys. Depending on how many times I re-filled the tub, I’ll have used 30-50 gallon of water per bath.

“I love my bath!”
Water, water everywhere…
We’ve had dinner. The dishes need doing. Use the dishwasher. It uses 50% less water than hand washing.
Water, water everywhere…
Dinner was delish and digested so we need to relieve ourselves. Every time you hit the handle on the porcelain toilet your’re flushing 4-6 gallons of water with your waste.

no comment needed…
Water, Water everywhere…
It’s shower time. Showers use about 50% less water than baths, but—if I need that long, hot, twenty-minute soaking shower, I’m having 50 gallons of water roll from head to feet to drain. For the year the family will shed 105,000 gallons of water.
Water, Water everywhere…
It’s time to water the lawn. I will be using 135 gallons of water in dousing the lawn of one acre to the depth of one foot. Nationwide that 225 trillion gallons to keep the grass green. The average sprinkler zone uses 15 gallons of water per minutes or 750 gallons per zone. I live in a gated community. I can’t even imagine.

even in the rain…
Water, water everywhere…
This has been exhausting so I think I’ll go play a relaxing 18 holes of golf. In order to keep America’s courses in tip top shape for me and others it will take 135,00 gallons per day; two trillion gallons per year.
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Nor any drop to drink
It is said in many regions of the world that the next wars will be fought over water. We’ll explore that as well as a long simmering “war” over a river in Colorado. Finally, we’ll look at what each of us can do to stave off not having a drop to drink no less for anything else.
The time has come said the carpenter to the Walrus, to speak of many things…” Bill is turning his and your attention to water. Water? Yes, water. There are two more coming. These aren’t light and funny. If you want light and funny try, “The War of the Itchy Balls and Other Tales from Brooklyn” and its sequel, “George Washington Didn’t Sleep Here.” Both on Amazon, kindle or paperback. Great holidays gifts.
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