The real dish on water
The not-so-obvious running tap
Where does all our water go?
Running down the drain
The 3 Rs of water use
Water-saving gardens
Websites that gush about water


The not-so-obvious running tap

On a per capita basis, Canadians are second only to Americans in our “water withdrawals” – a fancy term meaning water removed from rivers, lakes, and groundwater reservoirs. Although you turn off the tap when brushing your teeth, use a low-flow showerhead, and don’t own a pool, you’re probably wasting more water than you think. That’s because a lot of our water use is not readily apparent.

For example, the way food is produced in North America significantly increases the amount of water used. Raising cattle and processing beef requires a lot of water. While it takes only 138 litres of water to produce 10 ounces of potatoes, it takes a whopping 11,825 litres to produce the same amount of beef. (That’s 85 times as much.)

Why? Water is needed to irrigate the crops fed to livestock and to water them down. More water is used to wash the animal carcasses during processing and then it’s further needed to clean and sterilize the equipment and areas where the animals are slaughtered and their organs and bones are removed.

The North American diet uses a lot of water for two reasons: we eat more meat per capita and because we take unlimited agricultural water use for granted. But storm clouds are on the horizon. Things on the ranch and down on the farm are going to have to change.

Next >> Where does all our water go?

Share this Newsletter