For those of us working in agriculture, we develop an appreciation for how much water is required to produce crops.  The average American citizen does not really think about water requirements for food or anything we use daily beyond what we directly consume or pour out of the faucet.
 
The real dangers in not having a good understanding of individual water requirements on a personal level are the impacts on water policy and management.  This is certainly true in a desert environment and particularly during times of drought and water shortages.  
 
Every day in the United States every person generally consumes about 100 gallons of water to support our basic needs for drinking, bathing, cooking, toiletries, etc.  (USGS, 2019; Kobir, 2024; and Philadelphia City Government, 2024).  The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that the average American needs 80-100 gallons per day for basic use and consumption (indoor use).  The Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) estimates that Arizonans consume an average of 146 gallons of water per day (ADWR, 2019 and 2024).
 
As discussed in recent articles in this newsletter (Silvertooth, 2024a and b) the water required to produce the food supporting an average Arizonan can range from 800 to 1,500 gallons per day, depending on a person’s diet.  Thus, we can use an estimate of 1,000 gallons consumed per day per person to support our basic food requirements (Anyabwile and Walker, 2019; Wheeler, 2022; Food Print, 2024; Michel, 2023; Smith, 2012).  
 
If this estimate of “virtual water” use is expanded to include clothing, appliances, vehicles, and other items in our common daily use, the average water footprint for Americans easily comes up to 2,000 gallons of water per day (ASPE, 2022).
 
Considering daily indoor use and diet, a person can develop estimates on their own personal daily water consumption and water footprint by use of one of the water footprint calculators available on-line (i.e., Water Footprint Calculator).
 
Some recent surveys have been conducted to measure the perceptions of American citizens regarding the water required to produce our food (ASPE, 2022 and Martin, 2021).  The results reveal a significant gap between the reality of the water required to produce a person’s food and other basic items regularly used to support daily life.  For example:

• Almost 90 million Americans believe it takes no water at all to make a pair of jeans.  In fact, a fresh pair of jeans requires around 2,600 gallons to make.
• It takes 713 gallons of water to make a new cotton t-shirt to pair with those jeans.  Americans think it just takes 136 gallons.
• Americans believe it takes 158 gallons of water to produce a smartphone, whereas it is more than 3,400.
• Men, on average, estimate higher water consumption than women,140 gallons vs. 60 gallons, but neither group estimated anywhere close to the American’s calculated water footprint of 2,000 gallons per day.
• Gen Z respondents, ages 18–24, had the closest estimate at 365 gallons; however, this is still more than 1,500 gallons lower than the actual amount.  The average estimate drops off steeply for Millennials, ages 25–40, at 36 gallons and American citizen estimates remain low throughout older generations as well.
• 77 percent of Boomers, ages 57 and up, stop to appreciate access to clean drinking water fairly often, with 48 percent of Gen Z respondents reporting they do the same.  This is based on a national survey but hopefully that is higher in places like Arizona.
• Homeowners estimate their daily water consumption at nearly 130 gallons, compared to renters who believe they use only 33 gallons of water each day.  Both are extremely low estimates.
• The actual water consumption for homeowners and renters, based on a national average, is 1,188 and 818 gallons, respectively.

One survey was conducted in the fall and respondents were asked to estimate how much water is required to produce some common food items consumed at Thanksgiving.  Some of those results include:

• One 16-pound holiday turkey takes 4,688 gallons vs. the citizen estimated 158 gallons.
• A pecan pie takes 1,068 gallons vs. the citizen estimated 135 gallons; and a pumpkin pie takes 458 gallons vs. the estimated 135 gallons. 
• The traditional green bean casserole – with fried onions on top! – takes 547 gallons of water to hit the holiday dinner table vs. the estimated 116 gallons.

With the importance of electronics in our world and daily operations, we can also consider the water requirements for microchip production.  When creating an integrated circuit on a 300mm wafer, approximately 2,200 gallons of water are required, including 1,500 gallons of ultrapure water.  Consequently, a single large semiconductor fabrication facility processing around 40,000 wafers monthly could consume up to 4.8 million gallons of water daily (approximately 15 acre-feet per day or about 4,000 acre-feet per year).  This is equivalent to the annual water use of a city of 60,000 residents (CWR, 2013).
 
Water is essential to support all life and it takes a lot of water to grow plants and support animals that everyone needs to live and survive.  The important point to consider is that we all use more water every day than is commonly realized.  
 
Some responses to this may be “Who cares what people think and what difference does it make?”  The problem is that water policy is determined largely by politicians who are often not fully informed, and they are driven by voters who are commonly ignorant of the facts.  This can be a real problem when politicians enact policies based on perceptions and feelings that affect agricultural water allocations.
 
As the saying goes, “Facts may be facts, but perceptions become people’s reality.”  That is certainly true, and perceptions often only change when confronted with harsh realities.  We all have a significant water footprint with everything consumed and the more people understand that the better water management decisions we can make. 
 

References:
 
Anyabwile, A. and S. Walker.  2019.  5 Ways to put food on a water diet.  World Resources Institute.  https://www.wri.org/insights/5-ways-put-food-water-diet
 
Arizona Department of Water Resources.  2019.  Water Your Facts.  Arizona Water Facts.  https://www.arizonawaterfacts.com/water-your-facts
 
Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR).  2024.  Conservation.  https://www.azwater.gov/conservation/public-resources
 
ASPE.  2022.  New research shows most Americans are unaware of their daily water consumption.  ASPE Pipeline.  https://aspe.org/pipeline/new-research-shows-most-americans-are-unaware-of-their-daily-water-consumption/#:~:text=Most%20believe%20they%20use%20less%20than%20100%20gallons,indirectly%20%28e.g.%2C%20the%20water%20required%20to%20produce%20food%29.
 
China Water Risk (CWR).  2013.  8 Things You Should Know About Water & Semiconductors China Water Risk, 11 July 2013.
 
Food Print.  2024.  The Water Footprint of Food.  https://foodprint.org/issues/the-water-footprint-of-food/
 
Kobir.  2024.  How many gallons of fresh water do we use per day.  https://medium.com/rocklinca/how-many-gallons-of-freshwater-do-we-use-per-day-7987edf6b1bb
 
Martin, L. 2021.  New Research Shows Most Americans are Unaware of Their Daily Water Consumption.  Business Wire.  https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005669/en/New-Research-Shows-Most-Americans-are-Unaware-of-Their-Daily-Water-Consumption
 
Michel, D.  2023.  Water and Food: How, When, and Why Water Imperils Global Food Security.  Center for Strategic and International Studies.  https://www.csis.org/analysis/water-and-food-how-when-and-why-water-imperils-global-food-security
 
Philadelphia City Government.  2024.  Gallons Used Per Person Per Day.  https://water.phila.gov/pool/files/home-water-use-ig5.pdf
 
Silvertooth, J.  2024a.  Arizona Water Footprint.  University of Arizona Vegetable IPM Newsletter.  15 May 2024, University of Arizona No. 10
 
Silvertooth, J.  2024b.  Water Requirements for the Production of Common Food Products, University of Arizona Vegetable IPM Newsletter, 29 May 2024, No. 11
 
Smith, T.  2012.  World Water Day: How much water do you use in a day?  Climate Home News.  https://www.climatechangenews.com/2012/03/22/world-water-day-how-much-water-do-you-use-in-a-day/
 
United States Geological Survey. 2019.  How much water do I use at home each day? https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/water-qa-how-much-water-do-i-use-home-each-day
 
Water Footprint Calculator. 2024.  https://watercalculator.org/water-footprint-of-food-guide/
 
Wheeler, M.  2022.  Did You Know’ Series: How Much Water Are We Actually Using?  Virginia Water Resources Research Center, Virginia Tech University.  https://www.vwrrc.vt.edu/2022/03/31/did-you-know-series-how-much-water-are-we-actually-using/
 

At events and in the halls of the Yuma Agricultural Center, I’ve been hearing murmurings predicting a wet winter this year…

As the Yuma Sun reported last week, “The storms of Monday, Aug. 25 [2025], were the severest conditions of monsoon season so far this year in Yuma County, bringing record-rainfall, widespread power outages and--in the fields--disruptions in planting schedules.”

While the Climate Prediction Center of the National Weather Service maintains its prediction of below average rainfall this fall and winter as a whole, the NWS is saying this week will bring several chances of scattered storms.

These unusually wet conditions at germination can favor seedling disease development. Please be on the lookout for seedling disease in all crops as we begin the fall planting season. Most often the many fungal and oomycete pathogens that cause seedling disease strike before or soon after seedlings emerge, causing what we call damping-off. These common soilborne diseases can quickly kill germinating seeds and young plants and leave stands looking patchy or empty. Early symptoms include poor germination, water-soaked or severely discolored lesions near the soil line, and sudden seedling collapse followed by desiccation.

It is important to note that oomycete and fungal pathogens typically cannot be controlled by the same fungicidal mode of action. That is why an accurate diagnosis is critical before considering treatments with fungicides. If you suspect you have seedling diseases in your field, please submit samples to the Yuma Plant Health Clinic or schedule a field visit with me.

National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/

National Weather Service forecast: https://forecast.weather.gov

The Yuma Fresh Vegetable Association recently published a video highlighting the importance of crops raised in Yuma during the “offseason”. The video is well done, covering most crops including durum wheat, melons, hay, sorghum sudangrass, cotton, medjool dates and citrus. Even if you’re well versed in Yuma agriculture, I think you’ll find the piece interesting and informative.

Check it out by clicking here or on the image below.

Fig. 1. Yuma Fresh Vegetable Association’s “Yuma : Always in Season video. (Photo Credit: Yuma Fresh Vegetable Association)

The following is the FIRST WEED SCIENCE ARTICLE OF THIS NEWSLETTER published January 13, 2010 by our friend Barry Tickes.

The selective grass herbicides are good rescue type treatments in vegetables for grasses that have gotten through Pefar, Kerb and Balan. These include Poast (sethoxydim), Select (clethodim) and Fusilade (fluazifop) and the generics of these products. These herbicides are all slow and even slower as temperature and day length drop. If you don't like weeds, you can have the satisfaction of watching them suffer for a long time. Treated grasses should stop growing immediately and will slowly turn yellow, red and gradually disappear as the crop grows. This will likely take 2 to 3 weeks. Poast is the slowest and Select is the fastest. All of these herbicides require the addition of a crop oil concentrate except for Select Max which you can use with either a crop oil concentrate or non-ionic surfactant. Some reports indicate that ammonium sulfate will help in cold weather. If you have used one of these products and don't see adequate control within 3 or 4 weeks, please contact us and we'll look at it with you.

As Barry promised in his 2010 article he will be looking at some field trials with me today!

Results of pheromone and sticky trap catches can be viewed here.

Corn earworm: CEW moth counts down in most over the last month, but increased activity in Wellton and Tacna in the past week; above average for this time of season.

Beet armyworm: Moth trap counts increased in most areas, above average for this time of the year.

Cabbage looper: Moths remain in all traps in the past 2 weeks, and average for this time of the season.

Diamondback moth: Adults decreased to all locations but still remain active in Wellton and the N. Yuma Valley. Overall, below average for January.

Whitefly: Adult movement remains low in all areas, consistent with previous years.

Thrips: Thrips adults movement decreased in past 2 weeks, overall activity below average for January.

Aphids: Winged aphids are still actively moving, but lower in most areas. About average for January.  

Leafminers: Adult activity down in most locations, below average for this time of season.