Water is the new oil, right? Not only do we each directly consume water every day for drinking, cooking, bathing, cleaning and tending our lawns, we also use water indirectly, as water “embedded” in the products and services we buy. Thus, in the same way we each have a carbon footprint we also have a water footprint. A water footprint is the total volume of freshwater used directly and indirectly to produce the goods and services consumed by an individual, community, company or nation. This includes the amount of “green water”, or rainwater consumed in the production process and to grow crops, “blue water”, or surface and groundwater consumed, and “greywater”, the amount of freshwater polluted as a result of the process.
To put this in perspective, a cup of coffee requires about 37 gallons of water to produce; it takes 6.5 gallons to grow a pound of carrots and 108 gallons to grow a pound of corn; 1,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef, 2,200 gallons for a pair of blue jeans, 25 gallons for a kilowatt-hour of electricity. The average person in the United States consumes more than 750,000 gallons of water each year via the products and services they purchase—representing the highest per capita water footprint in the world. By contrast, nations like Guatemala, Kenya, and Afghanistan have water footprints less than 200,000 gallons per person per year.
During the month of February, the Taking on Water Challenge will issue a new charge each Tuesday to help you reduce your water footprint. Challenges will be straight-forward and relatively easy to achieve. Along with each task, you’ll learn why your choice is important, and how much water you can save if you undertake the pledge for a week—or better yet, make it permanent. By the end of the month, your combined actions could save more than 1,500 gallons per week. If you stick with these changes, you can save over 6,000 gallons each month or nearly 80,000 gallons of water in a year’s time. Along the way, we’ll provide you with additional resources and water saving ideas you can bring to your life. We hope that once you figure out how easy it can be to be water wise, you’ll put what you learn to good use. At the end of the month, we’ll draw a winner for a Taking on Water prize!
For more background on our water footprints, start here with my Water Deva Cheat Sheet and 12 Ways to Reduce Your Water Footprint. And, please help us spread the word through your social media networks. Every drop counts!
See the first challenge, posted February 5, 2013, Week 1 – Eat Less Meat here. See the second challenge, posted February 12, 2013, Week 2 – Waste Less Food here. To enter to win the Taking on Water Challenge, pledge to decrease your water footprint by leaving a comment.
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To Enter
Full official contest rules and guidelines are here. Contest begins January 29, 2013. Entries must be received no later than March 11, 2013, 11:59:59 PM Pacific Time.
• Enter for the chance to win a copy of Taking on Water and a water reduction kit for your home (Approximate Retail Value $130).
• No purchase necessary.
• Open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia, ages 18 or older.
• Contest begins January 29, 2013. Entries must be received no later than March 11, 2013, 11:59:59 PM Pacific Time.
• The winner will be selected on or about March 15, 2013.
• Void where prohibited by law.
Entries must be made in the comments section on Wendy Pabich’s blog, www.waterdeva.com. Entries must include the following (Incomplete entries will not be considered):
▪ Name (first and last)
▪ Email Address
▪ A brief comment pledging to decrease your water footprint
Optional: A link to a blog post or photograph can be included, but is not necessary for entry.
I would love to take this challenge and learn more! Yes, please send me the “tips”! Thanks!
Julie, Thanks for your interest! To enter, participants will need to leave a comment, so you are now a participant. Please check back here each Tuesday during February for a new challenge. Thank you!
I also very interested by your advices ! In advance thank you and congrats for this challenge !
Great initiative and looking forward to hearing about the tips!
This is a great idea – I will certainly pass the challenge along.
Great! Thank you, Kari!
I try to conserve but I’m sure I have a lot to learn. Bring it on!
Excited to get this going! Come ooooon, February!
We’re ready to try the water challenge and will send on to some friends. Thanks!
Fabulous! Welcome!
count me in on this challenge too. i’m very interested to see what tips ican learn and adopt to save water. after all, we americans are very fortunate to have a plentiful as well as a clean supply of water, but i’m sure some parts of the country have more than their share that others do. i also know that there are places in this world that probably will run low on water because climate change is melting the snows on some mountains and that’s what some very large cities depend on for their water supply.
Great! Looking forward to the challenge.
Always looking for ways to conserve resources, so I’m looking forward to seeing what you have in store for us! Thanks!
Forgot to enter my last name on Feb. 1. We’re already working on the challenge!
Judy, You can enter any time this month, so you are fine. Welcome!
As the coordinator for Protect the Flows- a Colorado River protection project I am very excited about your work. I put your website on our facebook page today. Looking forward to the tips!
Thank you, Molly! I appreciate your help.
We became vegetarians a few years ago, so we’ve already eliminated red meat. I have bricks in my toilet tank to reduce the water used to flush.
My pledge is to find additional ways to continue to reduce my water footprint.
Welcome, David!
Great site. Just found it thru a 7th generation post on Facebook. Will definitely be taking the challenge. And have shared with my friends too.
Thank you, Rasa! Welcome!
Wonderful site. I am looking for ways to reduce our water consumption. I’s life some tips!
Thank you, Margaret. Welcome!
I am on this challenge. There is nothing in the world more prescious than our water supplies.
I agree! Welcome, Vicki!
I want to take this challenge and promise to decrease my water footprint and learn more about this through the challenge. Saw this from 1% for the Planet on facebook – thanks for doing this!
Colleen, You are quite welcome. Thanks for joining and also for letting me know how you found your way here. Enjoy!
I became a vegetarian my sophomore year in high school (I graduated in 05′) I think I got this tip down! I would to learn more ways to reduce my footprint and conserve resources!
Thanks for joining in, Jessica!
I live the green life style and have reduced my heating bill electric and food bills… but my water bill is a area I have not been able to lower… only after fixing a leak lol… but look forward to leaning some ways to help me reduce my water use.
Welcome, Star! Thanks for joining.
Great idea! Glad to join the challenge, and thanks for letting me know about it via twitter!
So glad you found your way here via Twitter! Welcome!
installing a greywater system in the loft we’re renovating.
Welcome, Steph. Nice work!