How can one cup of tea contain 27 quarts of water? That’s not a math puzzle – that’s an accurate accounting of a “water footprint,” UN Water says.

An group that coordinates the efforts of United Nations entities and international organizations working on water and sanitation issues, UN Water sponsors World Water Day on March 22 each year. Calling attention to our water footprints is an effort to increase users’ efficiency and sense of responsibility as we consume this precious resource. Whether on individual or industrial scales, calculating a water footprint provides a new way to measure impact.

Grace Communications Foundation offers an online “water calculator” to estimate your water footprint and educational materials to help you cut down. The Water Footprint Network offers another calculator and this network includes major companies, like Barilla pasta, and government entities, like the Swiss Development Agency.

How will you observe World Water Day this year? The main focus is to support the achievement of UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Water and sanitation for all by 2030. Some 2.2 billion people across the globe live without access to safe water. Consider what you, your company and investing practices can do to help.