In the run-up to World Water Day in March 2024, thousands of Johannesburg, South Africa, residents whose taps had run dry lined up for daily water deliveries by municipal tanker truck. In Mexico City, officials warned of an imminent “day zero” — when the water system could no longer provide enough tap water for its nearly 22 million residents. Sicily also faces dire shortages.

Here are some water facts everyone should know.

 

The World

• Water covers 70% of our planet, but only 3% of it is fresh water. Two-thirds of that is tucked away in frozen glaciers or otherwise unavailable for our use. (Source: World Wildlife Federation)
• Four billion people — almost two-thirds of the world’s population — experience severe water scarcity for at least one month each year. (Source: UNICEF)
• Water use has been increasing by 1% a year over the last 40 years. By 2050, nearly half the world’s urban population (1.7 to 2.4 billion people) will face water scarcity. (Source: UNESCO)
• Healthy adults living in a temperate climate need 11.5 cups to 15.5 cups of fluid a day. In extreme heat, they should consume a cup of water every 15 to 20 minutes while working. (Sources: NASEM and CDC)
• Globally, we generate roughly 320 billion cubic meters of wastewater a year. That’s five times the volume of water passing over Niagara Falls annually. (Source: UNEP)
• The world has nearly 110,000 commercial wastewater treatment plants, but only 59 employ potable reuse technologies.
• About 16,000 desalination facilities are in operation worldwide. Most are micro-plants used for fracking in oil extraction. Fewer than 600 are high-capacity facilities, and two-thirds of those are in the United States. The largest mega-plants, however, are found in the Middle East.
• In America, nearly 150,000 public water systemsprovide drinking water to about 90% of the population. The other 10% rely on water from private wells. (Source: EPA)

 

The Southland

• Los Angeles uses about 450 million gallons of water a day, enough to fill the Rose Bowl more than five times. (Source: Pure Water Los Angeles)
• L.A. County’s 1,400 miles of sewers, 49 pumping plants and 11 wastewater treatment facilities process 400 million gallons of wastewater every day. (Source: L.A. County Sanitation Districts)
• The world’s largest indirect potable reuse facility is operated by the Orange County Water District. It pumps out 130 million gallons of recycled drinking water daily. (Source: Orange County Water District)