·         Water is the only substance found on earth naturally in three forms – solid, liquid and gas.

·         Water helps to regulate the earth's temperature.

·         68.9% of the earth's fresh water exists in the form of glaciers and permanent snow cover.

·         Of the total world's freshwater supply, 30.8% is groundwater, including soil moisture, swamp water and permafrost.

·         Only 0.3% of total global fresh water is stored in lakes and rivers.

·         Annually, Canada's rivers discharge 7% of the world's renewable water supply – 105,000 cubic meters per second.

·         Almost 9%, or 891,163 square kilometres, of Canada's total area is covered by fresh water.

·         Approximately 60% of Canada's fresh water drains north, while 85% of the population lives within 300 kilometres of the southern border with the United States.

·         Canada has about 25% of the world's wetlands – the largest wetland area in the world.

·         Wetlands totaling an area of more than 1.2 million square kilometres cover about 14% of the land area of Canada.

·         Fifteen to twenty-five percent of the Prairie Region is wetland.

·         In Canada, there is more water underground than on the surface.

·         The Great Lakes provide drinking water to 8.5 million Canadians.

·         One drop of oil can render up to 25 liters of water unfit for drinking.

·         Humans need between 20 and 50 liters of water every day to meet their basic needs.

·         Plasma, which constitutes 55% of our blood volume, is 90% water.

·         It is recommended that people drink 2 to 3 liters (about 8 glasses) of fluid every day.

·         You can survive about a month without food, but only 5 to 7 days without water.

·         Approximately 1000 kilograms of water is required to grow 1 kilogram of potatoes.

·         About 75% of all agricultural water withdrawals in Canada take place on the Prairies, mainly for irrigation.

·         Approximately 300 liters of water is required to produce 1 kilogram of paper.

·         It takes about 215,000 liters of water to produce one metric ton of steel.

·         Residential indoor water use in Canada:

þ    toilet – 30%

þ    bathing and showering – 35%

þ    laundry – 20%

þ    kitchen and drinking – 10%

þ    cleaning – 5%

·         A 5-minute shower with a standard shower head uses 100 litres of water.

·         A 5-minute shower with a low-flow shower head uses less than 50 litres of water.

·         Water uses and consumption:

þ    toilet flush – 15-19L

þ    shower (5 min.) – 100L

þ     tub bath – 60L

þ     automatic dishwashing – 40L

þ     dishwashing by hand – 35L

þ     hand washing – 8L (with tap running)

þ     brushing teeth – 10L (with tap running)

þ     outdoor watering – 35L/min

þ     washing machine – 225L

·         A single lawn sprinkler spraying 19 litres per minute uses more water in just one hour than a combination of ten toilet flushes, two 5-minute showers, two dishwasher loads, and a full load of clothes.