Did you know that water will never laugh at puns or jokes because it is not a fan of dry humor?
Besides the most obvious use of water for drinking, the precious resource is also used for multiple other practices that don’t regularly cross our minds. This includes domestically in our homes, agriculturally for our food, and industrially in business.
Water in our homes can be used to bathe, cook, wash dishes and clothes, keep pools clean and full, water grass and lawns and flush toilets. According to the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, an average American family uses at least 200 million gallons of water a day in their home, with around 70% of this usage occurring indoors and the other 30% for outdoor use.
Agriculture is such a major consumer of surface and groundwater that irrigation accounted for 42% of the nation’s total freshwater withdrawals in 2015, according to a U.S. Geological Survey Report. Because of factors such as a growing population and urbanization, scientists predict that agricultural production will need to increase by about 70% by 2050 to support all human life, according to Michigan State University. A bigger agricultural production will, of course, require an increase in water.
In Texas alone, irrigated agriculture is the largest water user in the state, according to Texas Living Waters. However, the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) estimates that due to unprecedented population growth within the state, municipal and industrial use will steal the top spot for water usage.
Industrially speaking, water also plays an important role in the manufacturing processes of cooling and rinsing, as well as in collecting raw materials for oil and gas production. Water can also generate electricity through hydroelectric power and for cooling steam electric plants in the state and generating electricity for many sources. For instance, you need water to watch your favorite movie.
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