10 Things You Should Know About Water
Water
We trawled the internet and have found 10 Things You Should Know About Water, some interesting facts and some just plain odd. As you woke up this morning I bet you never considered how important water is to your daily routine. As you flush the toilet, clean your hands, brush your teeth, grab a cup of coffee and head off to work (with your bottle of water in the car), you may never have realised how much water has played a part in that small part of your daily routine. Starting with the basics:
1) WATER IS ELEMENTARY
Your science teacher would be proud of you if you remember that everything in this colourful world of ours is made of atoms, and even more proud of you if you can remember the chemical name for water is H2O. Here’s the science: The smallest particle of an element is an atom (Oxygen or Hydrogen for example). Molecules are formed by atoms joining together. A water molecule has three atoms: two hydrogen (H2) atoms and one oxygen (O) atom.
2) WHERE CAN YOU FIND WATER?
Unless you are living in a dessert you will probably agree that the Earth is a very watery place. However, have you ever wondered exactly how much water there is on and above this wonderful planet of ours? Well – here are a couple of statistics to soak in…. a) 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water b) 96.5% of all the Earth’s water is in our Oceans c) Scientists estimate that one inch of rain falling over an area of one square mile is equal to 17.4 million gallons of water So we have plenty of it, and boy do we need it!
3) DID YOU KNOW?
Water is the only mineral that is found naturally on Earth in three forms; liquid, gas and solid and that over 90% of the world’s supply of fresh water is located in Antarctica!
4) THE WATER CYCLE
Water is constantly moving from one place to the next, in one form or another and this is known as the water cycle. Water exists in rivers, icecaps, lakes, glaciers, in the air, the ground (as moisture in the soil) and in aquifiers.
5) HOW MUCH WATER IS THERE IN YOUR BODY?
Water is so essential to our lives and it’s not surprising really when you realise that the average human body is really a skin wrapped sponge! The average adult body consists of around 60% water and is higher at around 75-78% for an infant. Of course the composition of your body will vary due to gender and fitness levels as fatty tissue contains less water than lean tissue. If you are bored and want to know roughly how much water is in your body (just in case you spring a leak) do this simple calculation: Your Body Weight (lbs) x 60% (or 76% for an infant) = lbs of water in your body To convert lbs to gallons just divide by 8.4! So for example: 175 x 0.6 = 105lbs of water or 12.5 gallons
6) 2 LITRES A DAY WILL KEEP YOU HYDRATED
With all that water in our body you can understand why we start to feel grumpy and less productive when we get dehydrated. As a rule we should consume around 8 glasses or around 2 litres of good quality drinking water to avoid dehydration during the day. The amount you will need each day of course depends on many factors including the temperature and how much activity you are involved in.
7) HOW MUCH WATER DO WE USE?
In an average household we use quite a bit of water, for example: 5 min Shower: 25 to 50 gallons Flush a toilet: 2 - 7 gallons Brushing your teeth: 2 gallons Hand washing dishes: 20 gallons In fact if you were to break down your day into your own water cycle this is where your water is being used….of course this is based on an average household day! 30%: Toilet flushing 21%: Personal washing - baths and taps 12%: Personal washing - showers 13%: Clothes washing 8%: Washing up 7%: Outdoor 5%: Other 4%: Drinking
8) ALMOST 95% OF YOUR WATER FOOTPRINT IS HIDDEN!
But that’s not where it ends; the household usage above demonstrates where our mains water goes. However, you may be surprised that nearly 95% of your water footprint is hidden. Where, you may ask? Well it’s hidden in the food you eat, the products you buy, the services you rely on and the energy you use.
9) SO ENJOY IT – DON’T WASTE IT!
So, if we are only drinking 4% of the water we use each day at home, let’s make sure that the water we do drink is of high quality, tastes great, is free from additives and so on…..hmm, now I wonder where you can find such a source? Well, if you are stuck and want to learn more about the water that is available – we’ve found Martin Reise and yes – he is a water expert. Not just an expert though, in fact he is a Water Sommelier and currently sells one of the most expensive bottles of water in the world. His diamond edition costs $100,000 and has 650 white diamonds and 250 black diamonds on the bottle and is sold in LA.
10) WATER BARS
Fancy a tipple? If you are out at night and your local Eden Springs office is shut, where do you head to? A water bar of course! The Sunday Times and Evening Standard have recently reported on Britain’s first water bar. “Opening in Selfridges in London the bar, which will be located in the accessory hall, will serve a variety of water brands for those who want to enjoy the basic refreshment.” and “It is thought the flagship store will consult “water sommeliers” to put together the bar’s menu” This refreshingly new concept is due to launch later in 2016.
