The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Fresh and clean drinking water comes from nature. © Kent Mason

Fresh and clean drinking water comes from nature.

 

You use it every time you take a drink. You use it to shower, to cook and to clean. You also use it when you wear a pair of jeans, eat a hamburger or drink a beer. Water gives us everything, but do you know where your water comes from?

Don’t feel bad if the answer is “no”! 54% of Americans don’t know either.

Know Your H20

We’ve got a great tool to help you find out all about the water the comes out of your tap and how it gets there. You can also get fun tips for reducing your water use. Or, see how much water it takes to make the things you use, like jeans (2,900 gallons to produce one pair!).

We’re fortunate here in the Northwest to have some of the best-protected water sources. In Seattle, 87 percent of land in the watersheds that supply drinking water is protected. We rank second, just behind Portland (90 percent protected). What the heck is a watershed, you ask? It’s an area of land that contributes water to a given location such as a stream or a reservoir. In Seattle, most of our drinking water comes from the Cedar River and Tolt River watersheds.

Your Support Ensures Clean Water

With your support, The Nature Conservancy has protected lakes, rivers and streams across Washington, as well as the land around them. To keep water clean and healthy, it’s important to protect the lands and forests that surround them.

In Washington, we’re protecting the forests and rivers on the coast, the shorelines, streams and lakes in Puget Sound, and the forests and sagelands of eastern Washington, all important buffers and safeguards for clean and healthy water.

And globally, the Conservancy is leading the way on designing innovative water protection solutions, such as these water funds in South America. Your support is driving water protection in every state and around the world.