Water isn’t an option – it’s a necessity. The U.S. Geological Survey reports that Americans use over 4 billion gallons of water every day – for cooking, laundry, agriculture, industry, transportation and replenishing, washing and refreshing the body. Motivated by increasing scarcity, global focus is zeroing in on preserving and protecting water for mankind’s survival.

Why is water important for our bodies?

Water equals 75% of the make-up of every living organism and is involved in every body process from growth and temperature control to breathing and elimination. Why is water important? German physicist Dr. Wolfgang Ludwig, interviewed in Environmental Medicine, postulates “All life processes are directly or indirectly connected with water...” A body without food survives far longer than it does without water. Researcher Dr. F.Batmanghelidj, in “Your Body’s Many Cries for Water”, says the average adult body contains 11 gallons of water. Sweat and urine deplete three-fourths of a gallon of water each day, which must be replaced at the risk of dehydration. Why is water important? Even a 2% loss of water leads to headaches and concentration problems.

Why is Water Important to the Environment?

The earth’s surface is 70% water, but more than 98% of that water is unusable salt water. Of the minuscule amount of fresh water available for humans and their plant and animal food sources, and up to 80% is reserved for agriculture or hydro-power. We are at peak water.

Water is a chameleon substance – as a solid in glaciers and frozen rivers and lakes, as a liquid in groundwater and precipitation and as a vapor in steam, clouds and fog. But fresh water supply is inequitable. One in eight people cannot access safe water, and The United Nations estimates that 2.8 billion people will endure water stress or scarcity by 2025. As such, we are in a global water crisis. Why is safe water important? In developing countries, more than 80% of sewage is untreated and returned to drinking water sources. Environment Canada reports that 50% of the world’s wetlands have disappeared in one century. A 2011 Financial Times article says Japan’s tsunami-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is leaking radioactive water into the ocean.

Why is Water Important to Save?

Even with the globe’s 326 million cubic miles of water, one billion people lack access to safe drinking water, and a number of U.N. member states hope to reduce this number by half by 2015. Despite the increasing use of water-saving appliances, A 5 minute shower in America consumes more water than a developing country’s slum dweller does in a full day. A 2009 study by the European Environment Agency (EEA) discovered that Europeans concentrated more on finding more water supplies than looking for ways to lessen its use. In the end, which is a more sustainable approach?