Water Facts for Water Month

March is Water Month here at Macalester! Did you know: 

• The average family can waste 180 gallons per week, or 9,400 gallons of water annually, just from household leaks. That's equivalent to the amount of water needed to wash more than 300 loads of laundry. 
• Household leaks can waste approximately 900 billion gallons of water annually nationwide. That's equal to the annual household water use of nearly 11 million homes. 
• Running the dishwasher only when it's full can eliminate one load of dishes per week and save the average family nearly 320 gallons of water annually. 
• Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth can save eight gallons of water per day, and turning off the tap while shaving can save ten gallons of water per shave. Assuming you brush your teeth twice daily and shave five times a week, you could save nearly 5,700 gallons of water per year. 
• Letting your faucet run for five minutes while washing dishes can waste ten gallons of water and uses enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for 18 hours. 
• Outdoor water use accounts for more than 30 percent of total household water use, but can be as much as 60 percent of total household water use in arid regions. 
• If the average sized lawn in the United states is watered for 20 minutes every day for seven days, it's the equivalent of running the shower constantly for four days, or taking more than 800 showers. That's the amount of water needed for the average family to take a whole year's worth of showers. 
• As much as half of the water we use outdoors is lost due to wind, evaporation, or runoff caused by inefficient irrigation methods and systems. A household with an automatic landscape irrigation system that isn't properly maintained and operated can waste up to 25,000 gallons of water annually.