You're using more water than you think A water footprint is the
total volume of freshwater used to produce the goods and
services consumed. Here are some ways to lighten your water
footprint. Fri, Aug 31 2012 at 11:28 AM Prodded by environmental
consciousness — or penny pinching — you installed low-flow
showerheads and fixed all the drippy facets. Knowing that your
manicured lawn was sucking down an unnatural amount of water —
nearly 7 billion gallons of water is used to irrigate home
landscaping, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency — you ripped up the turf and replaced it with native
plants. You’re still using a lot more water than you think. The
drought of 2012 has generated images of parched landscapes and
sun-baked lakebeds. At least 36 states are projecting water
shortages between now and 2013, according to a survey by the
federal General Accounting Office. Water supplies are finite,
and fickle. Water, we all know, is essential to life. It is also
essential to agriculture, industry, ene