Water in Canada
Want to know more about water AVAILABILITY in Canada? Some of these facts might surprise you!
- Canada has about 7% of the world's total renewable freshwater supply (the third highest in the world). While it may seem as if Canada has an abundance of water, many parts of our country have experienced shortages. Only a small portion of the water in our lakes and aquifers is renewed each year from rainfall and snow melt.
- Canada has approximately 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. Wetlands are important because they are diverse ecosystems – they provide food, shelter and nesting sites for all kinds of animals. As a result, they are one of the most productive and dynamic environmental habitats on Earth. Since European settlement, it is estimated that Canada has lost about 20 million hectares of wetlands to agricultural developments alone!
- Approximately 60% of Canada's fresh water drains to the north, while 85% of the population lives within 300 kilometres of the Canada-United States border. As a result, many areas have restricted water supplies, and water availability is a major concern.
- In many of the settled areas of the country, water is extremely polluted and is either unsuitable for human, animal, and industrial use or usable only at a relatively high cost of treatment.
How about water CONSUMPTION? Did you know Canadians consume more water (per capita) than anyone else on earth except Americans? Read on to find out more about how we use water.
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- Compare this to the reality in much of the developing world: Most of the 1.1 billion people categorized as lacking access to clean water use about 5L of unsafe water each day—less than what we use to flush a toilet.
- There are many ways to reduce water consumption. For example, a 5-minute shower with a standard shower head uses 100L; whereas a 5-minute shower with a low-flow shower head uses less than 50L!
- In 2004, the average Canadian daily domestic water use was 329L per person (by 2006 it had increased to 335L). In comparison, the average daily water use per person in most countries in Europe is 200–300L, and in the United States it's approximately 575L.
- The common causes of water waste at home are leaking faucets, faulty plumbing, and over-use when watering the lawn and washing the car.
- Overall, the five main water uses in Canada are: thermal power, manufacturing, municipal use, agriculture and mining. Residential use accounts for 56% of the municipal category.
