Skip common site navigation and headers
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Drinking Water & Ground Water Kids' Stuff
Begin Hierarchical Links EPA Home > Water > Ground Water & Drinking Water > Kids' Stuff > Water Trivia Facts End Hierarchical Links

 

Water Trivia Facts

1. Water is the only substance found on earth naturally in three forms.
True (Solid, liquid and gas)

2. Does water regulate the earth’s temperature?
Yes (it is a natural insulator)

3. At what temperature does water freeze?
32 degrees F, 0 degrees C

4. At what temperature does water vaporize?
212 degrees F, 100 degrees C

5. How long can a person live without food?
More than a month
How long can a person live without water?
Approximately one week, depending upon conditions

6. How much of the human body is water?
66%

7. How much of the earth’s surface is water?
80%

8. How much water must a person consume per day to maintain health?
2.5 quarts from all sources (i.e. water, food)

9. Of all the earth’s water, how much is ocean or seas?
97%

10. How much of the world’s water is frozen and therefore unusable?
2%

11. How much of the earth’s water is suitable for drinking water?
1%

12. Is it possible for me to drink water that was part of the dinosaur era?
Yes - water is constantly recycled

13. What is the most common substance found on earth?
Water

14. How much water does the average residence use during a year?
Over 100,000 gallons (indoors and outside)

15. How much water does an individual use daily?
Over 100 gallons (all uses)

16. What does a person pay for water on a daily basis?
National average is 25 cents

17. How many community public water systems are there in the United States?
54,000

18. How much water do these utilities process daily?
38 billion gallons

19. What does it cost to operate the water systems throughout the country annually?
Over $3.5 billion

20. How many miles of pipeline and aqueducts are in the United States and Canada?
Approximately one million miles, or enough to circle the earth 40 times

21. What were the first water pipes made from in the US?
Fire charred bored logs

22. Where was the first municipal water filtration works opened and when?
Paisley, Scotland in 1832

23. Of the nation’s community water supplies, what percentage are investor-owned?
15 %

24. How many households use private wells for their water supply?
More than 13 million

25. How much water is used to flush a toilet?
2-7 gallons

26. How much water is used in the average five-minute shower?
15-25 gallons

27. How much water is used on the average for an automatic dishwasher?
9-12 gallons

28. On the average, how much is used to hand wash dishes?
9-20 gallons

29. How much does one gallon of water weigh?
8.34 pounds

30. What is the weight of water in one cubic foot?
62.4 pounds

31. How much water drops with an inch of rain on one acre of ground?
27,154 gallons, which weighs 113 tons

32. How much water does it take to process a quarter pound of hamburger?
Approximately one gallon

33. How much water does it take to produce one ton of steel?
62,600 gallons

34. How much water is used to produce a single day’s supply of U.S. newsprint?
300 million gallons

35. What is the total amount of water used to manufacture a new car, including new tires?
39,090 gallons per car

36. How much water must a dairy cow drink to produce one gallon of milk?
Four gallons

37. How much water is used during the growing/production of a chicken?
400 gallons

38. How much water is used during the growing/production of almonds?
12 gallons

39. How much water is used during the growing/production of french fries?
6 gallons

40. How much water is used during the growing/production of a single orange?
13.8 gallons

41. How much water is used during the growing/production of a watermelon?
100 gallons

42. How much water is used during the growing/production of a loaf of bread?
150 gallons

43. How much water is used during the growing/production of a tomato?
3 gallons

44. How much water is used during the growing/production of rice?
35 gallons

45. How much water us used during the production of an egg?
120 gallons

 

Safewater Home | About Our Office | Publications | Calendar | Links | Office of Water | En Español

 
Begin Site Footer

EPA Home | Privacy and Security Notice | Contact Us