My Water Footprint

Before filling out the information about my water footprint, I was expecting it to be off the charts because lets be honest, we always expect the worst for ourselves.  However, I could not have been more wrong.  It turns out that I use less water than the average American.  Lets see how this occurred. Be aware these numbers come from gallons/per day.

The first area covered was water used in my home and yard, but I consider this to be a little tainted.  According to the website I use sixty-three gallons of water a day in my home and the average American uses about one-hundred gallons.  Currently, I live in an on-campus apartment complex with three of my friends and we have access to a our own personal bathroom and a laundry room. We do have a kitchen, but due to our access to a separate cafeteria, we mainly consume food there so we do not have to clean many dishes.  Maybe a few here and there on the weekends. Also, we do not have a yard and do not have to water any plants, which I feel would have a major impact on my results.  With that said, if you asked me about water usage in ten years when I have a home of my own, these numbers would probably increase.

I was surprised to see my diet below average because since I am a student-athlete that plays football, I am constantly trying to stay healthy and in shape, especially during this current offseason with all of the training and such.  The average American uses about 1,056 gallons on their diet and I was placed slighting below at 1,015. I eat a lot of chicken and meat products with protein so I do not see how I can be below average.  And when I say a lot, I mean basically every meal. Maybe I am slacking….

Being below average in the transportation and energy aspect was even more shocking than the diet aspect.  The average American uses about 700 gallons of water during transportation and the use of energy.  I was placed at 560 gallons.  Why am I surprised? I am a student on a relatively small campus and town and I literally drive everywhere.  The cafeteria, class, library, etc.  You name it, I am driving.  Also, I do a lot of driving visiting friends at other schools, traveling home, going to sporting events (Philadelphia), and other necessary travels.  Not only do I drive, but I also fly a lot.  My sister lives in Chicago so I probably go to visit her at least four times a year.  Not to mention, I am going to Cancun in a week for spring break…

The “stuff” aspect of the chart is referring to clothes, toilet paper, paper in general, etc.  The American average in this part of the chart 232 gallons and I placed at 212.  This aspect was not surprising to me because I am the type of person that simply uses the “stuff” I already have.  I do not go shopping often, only when I have to, and I would not say I abuse paper and such by using too much.  I would say this aspect is pretty accurate.

When adding my numbers up, you would find that I use about 1,850 gallons compared to the American average of 2,088.  Like I said already, if you check in with me in the future, I firmly believe my numbers will increase.  I think me being in college right now limits me in certain aspects.  However, why in the world am I telling you about the amount of water I use?  I am telling you this because we need to appreciate our resources and stop taking them for granted.  A vast amount of people living all over the Middle East struggle to get even a third of what my numbers came out to be.  Turn off your sinks when you brush your teeth, take less than ten minute showers (I am guilty), etc.  Overall, just be appreciative about the easy lives we are capable of living.  Our lives seen like a struggle at times, but we should learn to appreciate the little things that make our lives so much easier, but also learn to not abuse them.

If you are interested in finding your water footprint, follow the link:

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/water-footprint-calculator

or

http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=cal/WaterFootprintCalculator