Watersheds: Introduction

Think about all the ways you use water everyday. Include everything from drinking to bathing, flushing toilets, brushing your teeth, washing clothes and dishes, cooking, and watering your lawn or washing your car. Can you guess how much water the average American uses every day?

How many gallons of water does the average American use every day?

1,800. Imagine 1,800 milk jugs of water—that's how much the average American uses every day.

Water is vital for all life on Earth, and we certainly have many important uses for it. With all the water that we use, why doesn’t Earth run out of water on a global basis? The answer to that is in this section, as well as a discussion of how water moves through your local environment. You will also learn about some ways that human societies both depend upon and impact water resources.