Fast facts on drinking water

Welcome to https://limassolwaterdelivery.com/, a global movement of millions of young people making positive change, online and off! The 11 facts you want are below, and the sources for the facts are at the very bottom of the page. After you learn something, Do Something! Find out how to take action here.  
 

1. The majority of Americans (almost 300 million people) get their tap water from public water systems. The other 15% receive water from private water systems not subject to government regulation.^[1]
2. Most tap water contains fluoride, a salt compound that helps prevent cavities.^[2]
3. 768 million people lack access to improved drinking water supplies and 2.5 billion people — half of the developing world — lack access to adequate sanitation.^[3]
4. Americans now use 127% more water than in 1950, and about 95% of the water entering our homes goes down the drain. Encourage your friends to preserve water by only using 13 gallons in one day (it’s harder than it sounds!). Sign up for the 13 Gallon Challenge.^[4]
5. The EPA requires all community water systems in the U.S. to report drinking water quality systems to their customers annually. This includes details on where the water comes from, what contaminants have been found in the water, and potential health effects.^[5]
6. The CDC declared drinking water fluoridation as one of the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th century.^[6]
7. Some old water pipes still contain lead, a poisonous metal. Lead may cause a range of health effects including behavioral problems and learning disabilities. Children six years old and under are most at risk because this is when the brain is developing.^[7]
8. Americans drink more than a billion glasses of tap water per day.^[8]
9. Diseases like schistosomiasis and guinea worm disease could decrease by 80% with the help of improved hygiene, sanitation, and drinking water.^[9]
10. Only one percent of the world’s water can be used for drinking. Nearly 97 percent of the world’s water is salty or otherwise undrinkable, and the other two percent is locked away in ice caps and glaciers^[10]
11. There is no “new” water: whether our source water is a stream, river, lake, spring, or well, we are using the same water the dinosaurs used millions of years ago.^[11]