It’s Time to Wake up: We’re All Facing a Water Consumption Crisis

The average person uses 50,000 litres of water per year. To some of you reading this, that number might come as no surprise, and I don’t really blame you. We’ve normalised excessive water use in recent decades to the point where many of us take it for granted. 

If we dive into the data, we can see that global water usage now is over six times what it once was at the start of the 20th Century. We use it everywhere – in agriculture, industrial environments, and households. As a result, a lot of us perceive the world’s water supply as being an infinite well that will magically continue to refill until the end of time. 

This isn’t the case. Even now, we’re seeing the serious effects of water scarcity on over two-thirds of the world’s population, which is severely affecting those who are already affected by financial hardship, brought on by global conflicts and political policies, like tariffs. So, let’s take a closer look at where all of our water has been going over the past 100 years and how it’s affecting people all over the world.

Increased Population

Naturally, one of the biggest influences on global water consumption is the dramatic population growth that occurred over the course of the 20th Century. If we were to travel back in time over a hundred years, it would be clear that there were significantly fewer people around. Around 6 billion fewer, to be precise, as back then, there were a mere 2 billion mouths to feed. 

When the world’s population quadruples, demand for water increases – it isn’t exactly rocket science. All of those people need to drink, wash, cook, and clean – all of which generally involve water use, not to mention the water needed to grow the crops to feed all of those people. 

Agricultural Use

Speaking of which, it might surprise a few of you to learn that agriculture accounts for approximately 70% of the world’s freshwater usage every year. That’s 2 quadrillion gallons per year, being put to use to grow our crops and rear our livestock. 

Industrial Use

Water consumption in industrial settings is at an all-time high because so many different sectors and corporations have become completely dependent on water to build different products. The tech industry, for example, requires ultrapure water at every stage of semiconductor production, while the pharmaceutical industry uses vast amounts of water to manufacture ingredients and to clean equipment. 

Households

I’m not here to guilt-trip anyone. Especially when water consumption from corporations and farms greatly dwarfs that of the average household. But the reality is that there are more of us, and we all need water to live our lives. On top of that, many of us are using water for technology that didn’t exist 100 years ago – like dishwashers and washing machines. 

I’m not going to sit here and preach that you turn off the tap every time you brush your teeth or wash your hands – instead, I’d encourage a more deliberate, efficient approach to how you use water. Try doing fewer, larger washing loads, or shortening showers to a tight four minutes.

The Environmental Toll 

Since 1970, freshwater species have decreased in number by 85% because of habitat destruction and reduced river flows, which is the steepest decline of any ecosystem type. When we extract water to the degree that we have been doing in the past 50 years, we shrink wetlands, marshes, and rivers, effectively wiping habitats off the face of the earth.

In addition, when we have a reduced amount of natural water flows around the world, but continue to pollute them at ever-increasing rates, the concentration of these pollutants is even higher, further endangering local populations and native species with toxic environments.

The Human Toll

For people who live in developed countries, it might come as a complete surprise that we’re facing a global water shortage, but to others around the world, this crisis is becoming a part of everyday life. As I mentioned earlier, over two-thirds of the world’s population is affected by this global water shortage, often for months at a time or even longer. 2 billion people still don’t have access to clean water, and overconsumption in richer countries, along with worsening climate crises, is only making the problem worse. 

Closing Thoughts

So there you have it. Right now, we are smack bang in the middle of a worsening water crisis that threatens two-thirds of the world's population, spells disaster for the environment, and only appears to be escalating further in its intensity. 

What can we do? Agricultural and industrial water use is inevitable, whether it’s used to grow crops or to make ultrapure water that’s essential for manufacturing. But at the very least, these corporations should face pressure to innovate with more efficient water systems (which may end up saving them money in the long term).