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WaterSense: Meets EPA Critera WaterSense Seal An EPA Partnership Program

Water Supply in the U.S.

Water covers approximately 70 percent of the Earth's surface, but less than 1 percent of that is available for human use. The world must share this small amount for agricultural, domestic, commercial, industrial, and environmental needs. Across the globe, water consumption has tripled in the last 50 years. Managing the supply and availability of water is one of the most critical natural resource issues facing the United States and the world.

Homes use more than half of publicly supplied water in the United States, which is significantly more than is used by either business or industry. A family of four can use approximately 400 gallons of water every day. Those amounts used can increase depending on location; for example, the arid West has some of the highest per capita residential water use because of landscape irrigation.

While the population and the demand on freshwater resources are increasing, supply remains constant and many regions are starting to feel the pressure. In fact, a government report (PDF) (1 pg, 157K)Exit EPA Disclaimerfound that water managers in 40 of 50 states expect water shortages in some portion of their states under average conditions in the next 10 years.

To help American homes and business make more efficient use of their water, EPA has developed WaterSense, a partnership program. By offering simple ways to reduce water use through water-efficient product choices—with no sacrifice to quality or product performance—WaterSense helps Americans save water and money.

This document is also available in PDF (1 pg, 243K, About PDF).