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Building Green in a Black and White World--Chapter 2

The following is an exerpt from the book Building Green in a Black and White World.
Section 1; Chapter 2; Part 2; Environmental Issues That Create the Market for Green Buildings-- Water Use

David Ritchey Johnston
January 1, 1900
HousingZone

-------Water Use--------

The Gold of the Twenty-First Century

Waves Water will be the gold of the twenty-first century in many parts of the country. In the twentieth century, human water use increased at twice the rate of population growth.¹² Today domestic water use accounts for 8 percent of the world’s fresh water consumption. The population on the planet is expected to double in the next twenty-five years, causing water supplies to be stressed.

Water Consumption

The amount of water we use in our daily lives can be surprising. Showering, on average, uses five gallons of water per minute. Flushing our toilets uses four to five gallons of drinking-quality water per flush with older toilets, and 1.6 gallons with newer toilets. Watering the lawn uses about 11 gallons of potable water per minute. Although domestic use only accounts for a small fraction of total water use, rapid urban growth has resulted in depleted groundwater sources in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Tucson, and other cities across the country, forcing these areas to take water from far-reaching places.

Additionally, some construction materials require large quantities of water to produce: one pound of steel requires 32 gallons of water, and one pound of aluminum requires 1,000 gallons of water.¹³

Reducing Water Consumption

With minimal impact on our current lifestyles, we can reduce our domestic water use by as much as half. Many options such as water-conserving faucets, toilets, and dishwashers are available that will help preserve this important resource if they are widely implemented.

Continue to The Effect of Building Green on the Construction Process