The Big Thirst

“The typical American flushes the toilet five times a day at home, and uses 18.5 gallons (70 liters) of water, just for that. What that means is that every day, as a nation, just to flush our toilets, Americans use 5,700,000,000 gallons of water—5.7 billion gallons of clean drinking water down the toilet. And that’s just at home.” 

Researchers study American water habits. Americans, and residents of other developed countries, consume large amounts of water, and are often unaware of how much they are consuming, and how conspicuous that consumption is. Fishman often contrasts the wasteful consumption of clean drinking water in rich countries against the struggle to get safe water in poor countries.

“That first water revolution ushered in an era—the one we think we still live in—in which water was unlimited, free, and safe. And once it was unlimited, free, and safe, we could stop thinking about it.” 

Scientists found bacteria in water. By filtering and chlorinating water, a revolution prevented serious diseases. This produced the ensuing century of water abundance. Most Americans assume that since water is now safe, in abundance, and free, it will always remain that way. Fishman believes this is not the case.

“Ten gallons of tap water, at home, costs on average 3 pennies.” 

Water does not cost much. Farms pay even less for water. Because of this low cost, water is invisible. Fishman makes the case that if water cost more, people would pay more attention to it.