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Kylee Glazier

Professor Laura Podratz

GEOG 1000

31 March 2020

Water Footprint Comparison: America Versus Denmark

Using the National Geography water footprint calculator, I was able to determine my

personal water footprint which is 1,412 gallons per day compared to the national, United States,

average of 1,802 gallons per day. This was surprising to me because I have never thought of

myself or my family as conservative in our water-use habits. This could mean one of two things,

either the rest of the citizens of the United States are also not concerned with conservation, or my

family is just conserving without necessarily thinking about it. This information, my water

footprint, not only shows my average use in gallons but shows specific areas of usage as well as

how my usage compares to the national average in each of those areas. With this specific

information, I can see where I can improve and where I should continue my conservation of

water.

Now, to compare my water usage to the average person living in Denmark, I had to

establish their water footprint. By navigating through the website, waterfootprint.org, I was able

to find a tool that shows a map of the world in which you can choose a country and see their

water footprint as a country and per capita. Then I was able to convert this number from, 4500

liters per day to about 1188 gallons per day. My average, as previously mentioned, was about

1,412 gallons per day which is only 224 gallons different. This was very surprising to me as I

assumed my consumption would be vastly different, higher, than in Denmark. In current society.
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The stereotype is greedy and overconsuming Americans so I would assume that would be the

same in regards to water use. However, this is not necessarily the case because the difference

between these two country averages, the United States and Denmark respectively, is not all that

dramatic. However, both of these countries are facing a looming water crisis that could cause

these numbers to be dropped not by choice but because there is not enough water to support

them.

In Denmark, their freshwater comes from their groundwater which is relatively close to

the surface due to, “the combination of low topography and widespread consolidated and

unconsolidated aquifers,” as is explained by the Denmark Ministry of the Environment in the

article, Water Supply in Denmark. Denmark is a smaller country that is surrounded on three

sides by the ocean. It also does not have any mountains so the little snow that it does get is not

saved in the mountains to become runoff like it does here in Utah and in many areas of the

United States of America. Many threats are growing against the groundwater supply that

Denmark relies on leading to a threat of a water crisis if they are unable to take the necessary

action. The three major threats that are found in the Denmark Ministry of the Environment article

are: agricultural and pesticides, Over-exploitation, and waste disposal in urban areas.

In Utah specifically, the freshwater comes mainly from surface water which is supported

by runoff from the mountains or groundwater. By surface water, I mean rivers, lakes, and

reservoirs that speckle the Utah landscape. These bodies of water are supported mainly by the

melting of snow that accumulates usually into April up in our beautiful Rocky Mountains. This

support, however, has become more and more inconsistent as the years go on. Over the last ten

or so years, the amount of snow that the mountains have been able to accumulate and later melts
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to become runoff has been inconsistent. This causes some concern for Utahns if this should

continue because it is a major part of where our water comes from. Therefore, if it becomes more

scarce we will have to really watch each of our water footprints. The second major source of

freshwater is groundwater accessed by wells and springs. Wells and springs, although they are

still important to the Utah landscape, do not account for as much of the freshwater as the surface

water. They tend to just be used on a smaller scale and do not cause as much concern to the Utah

water table as lack of snow. So the real threat and what has caused crises in the past, such as in

2018 when Governor Gary Herbert declared a state of emergency due to the lack of snow leading

to a drought in Utah. So all in all, I would say that the challenges to freshwater facing the

citizens in Denmark are much more serious and lasting in comparison to the possibilities of lack

of snow. However, there are actions being taken and can be taken in order to help the situation in

Denmark whereas here in Utah are relying mainly on the weather which is impossible to control.

I think most of the water problems across the world could be solved with more

knowledge and usage of water-saving products as well as better practices to decrease each of our

water footprint. Especially in the United States, the best move for citizens is to be responsible.

Use water-saving faucets, front-loading washing machines, switch to water-saving toilets or add

an object such as a brick to the toilet’s tank in order to displace water tricking the toilet into

using less water and just be cautious of the water you are using. Try to learn more about how to

decrease each of our water footprint and take any steps you can to help the impending water

crises all over the world.

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Works Cited

Waldman, Riley, and Riley Waldman. “Combatting, Understanding Utah's Water Crisis.” ​The

Daily Universe​, 17 Jan. 2019, universe.byu.edu/2019/01/17/combatting-

understanding-utahs-water-crisis-1/.

“Water Footprint Assessment Tool.” ​National Water Footprint Explorer,​ Water Footprint

Network, www.waterfootprintassessmenttool.org/national-explorer/.

Danish Ministry of the Environment. ​Water Supply in Denmark ​[PDF file].

https://eng.ecoinnovation .dk/media/mst/8051461/Vandforsyning_artikel.pdf