You might know that water is the most essential ingredient for life, but what you don’t know will totally shock you! Here are just a few of the most amazing facts about water.
- The human body might be solid, but the majority of it is water. About 70% of an adult human’s body is made up of water, and at birth, water accounts for about four-fifths of a baby’s weight.
- We all know we’re supposed to drink plenty of water, but it’s also possible to drink too much as it is to drink too little. A healthy person is capable of drinking about three gallons — 48 cups — of water per day. Drink too much water too quickly, though, and you can get water intoxication, which occurs when water dilutes the body’s sodium level, causing an imbalance of water in the brain.
- The United States uses a whole ton of water, but not on the things you’d expect. Believe it or not, the U.S. goes through around 346,000 million gallons of fresh water each day, about 80% of which is used for irrigation and thermoelectric power. The average person uses the majority of their 80 to 100 gallons of water per day in a way other than what you might expect, too — flushing. Using the toilet actually uses up the largest amount of water.
- Water purification is also a lot more necessary than you might think. Since 2004, over 62 million Americans have consumed water that didn’t meet governmental health guidelines, which were created to protect them such diseases as cancer, and more. Even more scary, some have been exposed to these dangerous contaminants for years. If you don’t have some form of water purification at home, you may want to consider investing.
- Well water filtration systems can actually make homes more efficient. Research has shown that hard water can cut the efficiency of a home’s appliances, such as its washer and showers, by as much as 48%. In other words, well water filter systems can help homes wash their clothes more easily, and more.
Water is more important than most people think, as is water purification. If you have any questions, or know any other cool facts, feel free to share in the comments.