B. B.’s Water Facts Page  

Gazette Numbers Wizard B.Bee Sharper Reveals Water’s Secrets

Percentage of the world’s water that is salty or otherwise undrinkable: 97%.

Percentage of the world’s water that is locked in glaciers and icecaps: 2%.

Percentage of the world’s water that is available for all of humanity’s needs: 1%.

Percentage of the human brain that is water: 75%.

Percentage of the human blood that is water: 83%.

Percentage of  human bones that are water: 25%.

Tons of water that are evaporated each day by the sun: 1,000,000, 000,000 (one trillion).

In a one hundred year period, the amount of time spent in the ocean by the average water molecule: 98 years.

In a one hundred year period, the amount of time spent as ice by the average water molecule: 20 months.

In a one hundred year period, the amount of time spent in lakes and rivers by the average water molecule: 2 weeks.

In a one hundred year period, the amount of time spent in the atmosphere by the average water molecule: 1 week.

Amount of time that groundwater, once polluted, can remain polluted: several thousand years.

Number of the Earth’s people that must walk at least three hours to obtain drinking water: 1,000,000,000 (one billion).

Percentage of U. S. homes that have no running water: 2%.

Percentage of the Mexican population that has to haul or carry water: 15%.

Average times per day that water faucets are turned on in U.S. households: 70.

Estimated percentage of water used by U.S. families that could be saved by simple conservation methods: 50%.

Gallons of water produced by one inch of rain falling on one acre of land: 27,154.

U. S. population 200 years ago: 4,000,000.

U.S. population today: 250,000,000.

Amount of increase in available water during that time period: 0.

If present water consumption patterns continue,  fraction of the Earth’s population that will be living in water-stressed conditions by the year 2025: two persons in three.

During the 2002 Israeli/Palestinian conflict, the amount of water available daily to Israeli settlers in the West Bank: 92.5 gallons per person.

Amount of water available daily to their Palestinian neighbors: 18.5 gallons per person.

Gallons of water given off each day by evaporation by a single birch tree: 70.

Gallons of water given off each day by evaporation by a married birch tree: 70.

Amount of water used in refining one gallon of crude oil: 1,851.