One month from today – on March 22- is World Water Day, an annual United Nations observance day to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. This year’s theme is “Valuing Water.” Find out more at World Water Day.
What is the value of water? We need water to drink, wash, prepare food, and recreate. We also need it for industrial and commercial use, as well as for agriculture. To get ready for World Water Day, let’s look at the value of water closest to use – drinking water.
Water for drinking is not just about the fun stuff –coffee, tea, carbonated beverages, and fermented drinks– it’s a matter of survival. Anyone who has felt thirsty understands this. And anyone who has felt really thirsty understands this really well. Fun aside, how much water do you need to survive?
If you google “how much water should I drink per day,” there are numerous suggestions from a diversity of sources. We’ll go with the Mayo Clinic, which suggests some numbers they attribute to the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. In my opinion, these are both legitimate sources.
For adults living in temperature climates, you should drink somewhere between 0.7 and 1 gallon of water per person per day. If gallons make you think of fish tanks, let’s talk about quarts or liters. A lot of us carry around 1-L refillable bottles these days… if that’s you, drink up on your 2.7-3.7 liters. But, make sure you are filling up at a good source and not the bucket of water that’s been sitting in your yard since fall. Why? Stay tuned for a future blog on the value of clean water.
And in the meantime get ready to celebrate World Water Day with a cheers to your water bottle and a few liters of water every day!
“When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.” – Benjamin Franklin