Water, according to The Economist, is the world’s most valuable element. Diamonds, oil, and other expensive commodities on Earth are worth nothing in the absence of water. This resource is essential for sustaining life, and even though mostly unpriced, has no substitute.

1. A Nationwide Problem:
Americans Waste 1 Trillion
Gallons of Water a Year
Beehive Plumbing
3221 S Maple Way
West Valley City, UT 84119
(801) 661-8155

2. Water, according to The Economist, is the world’s most valuable element.
Diamonds, oil, and other expensive commodities on Earth are worth nothing in
the absence of water. This resource is essential for sustaining life, and even
though mostly unpriced, has no substitute.
Despite the significant value of water, people incessantly waste it every day.
In fact, reports suggest that Americans waste 1 trillion gallons of water each
year. This amount is hard to imagine, but the USA Today says it is about 24
billion baths and 40 million swimming pools. The National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA), on the other hand, says it is 9 percent of the
total water necessary to stop the drought in California.
The Leaky Problem
Americans needlessly waste this resource daily, with leaky faucets and
malfunctioning toilets as the primary causes. The use of errant sprinkler
systems, inefficient toilets and showerheads, and other bad habits also
contribute to the problem.

3. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it is possible to
reduce about 10 percent of water bills across the country by simply
addressing leaks. It is important to be aware of how much water this invisible
problem can waste. The US Geological Survey suggests using the Drip
Calculator to know the amount of resource wasted per minute.
The solution to this problem is really simple. Homeowners should fix leaky
faucets and toilets and conduct a water leakage test. It is also important to
stop wasting water by adopting habits like turning off the faucet when
brushing teeth, switching from bath to shower, and upgrading to an efficient
toilet or showerhead.
Toilets and Sprinklers Concern
Toilets are even a bigger concern, with
issues like worn out flapper. This steadily
enables the water to drip from the tank
into the toilet bowl. This could waste
1,000 to 4,000 gallons of water a day,
which could increase the bills by hundreds
or thousands of dollars.
Irrigation systems are another problem,
as many homeowners install underground
sprinklers and use them regularly. The
EPA notes that people do not notice when
they leak, which could waste thousands of
gallons a month.

4. Resources:
http://www.beehiveplumbing.com
http://water.usgs.gov/edu/activity-drip.html
http://usatoday.tumblr.com/post/84344751762/shout-out-to-university-of-
georgia-geography-and
http://visualeconomics.creditloan.com/how-the-average-american-wastes-
water/ http://www.economist.com/node/16163366