water inventory

Lab 8: Documenting and Conserving Water EN 100

What are the consequences of wasting water and how can we help avoid them?

Water is a valuable and expensive resource. People use water for many purposes, including

agriculture and power generation as well as personal needs. You use large amounts of water every day

for drinking and washing and when using the toilet. You may use additional water in your kitchen for

cooking, as well as your yards, and gardens for irrigation and car washing. You also sometimes use water

for recreation.

In class we will go over in detail the various methods for treating wastewater (water after it has been

used). However, for now know that municipal utility services treat water before it is used and clean

water before it is reused. The utilities charge their customers for these services. For example in Prince

Edward County, Virginia the rate for water within the town of Farmville is $14.30 for the first 3000

gallons and then $2.20 per 1000 gallons. Outside of Farmville the rate is increased by 50%. The town

also charges the same rate again for removal of wastewater.

If water comes from a utility service, wasted water means wasted money. There are other financial

consequences of wasting water. Homes using well water must pay for energy to pump the water. All

homes must pay for energy to heat hot water. There are many other consequences of overusing water,

including the following.

• Overusing water can overload a septic system.

• In drought, wells can run dry

• In drought, imposed water restrictions impact everyone.

• Low stream and river levels hurt both recreation activities (e.g. swimming) and ecosystems.

• Overusing water means less water for other people.

• Low water supplies create a need for new supply reservoirs.

Some localities have special water supply issues to deal with. One important example is the Lake Gaston

pipeline project to supply water into tidewater Virginia (a normally rainy area). A 76-mile pipeline carries

water from Lake Gaston on the Virginia – North Carolina border to the Norfolk reservoir system. (For

more information on the 15-year legal battle between North Carolina and Virginia Beach over the inter-

basin transfer of water from Lake Gaston to Virginia Beach, see: Virginia Beach Department of Public

Utilities at www.vbgov.com/dept/putility/gaston .)

People can become active in conserving water. A good way to start is to simply turn off running water

whenever it is not being used. Shower times can be shortened and the amount of water used in bathing

can be reduced. Households can install low-flow showerheads that have smaller holes. A large amount

of water is used every time a toilet is flushed. Some of this water can be saved by placing sealed bottles

into a toilet tank so that less water is flushed. More water-saving ideas were mentioned in class.

Directions: You will be inventorying your HOUSEHOLD water usage for 2 days, not just your personal

use. So if you have roommates or family members living with you, please include their use as well.

Fill out the following charts over 2 days, then calculate the total gallons used per activity.

Home Water Use Inventory

Number of water users in the household (don’t include pets) ____________

BATHROOM:

Place a tick mark in the proper column each time an activity is performed. Add up the total number of

uses over the 2 days. Then calculate the total gallons used with this formula:

Total gallons used = number of gallons per use x total uses

Activity Gallons per use

Day 1 Day 2 Total uses Total gallons

Flushing older toilet 5

Flushing newer toilet (water-saving design)

2

Washing hands 0.75

Tub bath 35

5-minute shower 10

10-minute shower 20

Brushing teeth/washing face with water running

5

Brushing teeth/washing face without water running

0.5

KITCHEN/HOME:

Activity Gallons per use

Day 1 Day 2 Total uses Total gallons

Washing dishes with water running

30

Washing dishes using basin

10

Running older dishwasher

12

Running newer dishwasher (water- saving design)

3.5

Meal preparation 5

Drinking a glass of water or water bottle

0.06

Filling up pet bowl 0.05-1

Running top-loading clothes washer

30

Running front- loading clothes washer

10

Washing hands with water running

4

Washing hands without water running

1

OUTDOOR:

Activity Gallons per use Day 1 Day 2 Total uses

Total gallons

Water around 5 potted plants

2 (or less)

Watering a garden or lawn

5 gallons/square ft

Washing the car 80-140

Filling a kiddie pool 100

Filling a swimming pool

12 ft x 24 ft 10,800 14 ft x 28 ft 14,700 15 ft x 30 ft 16,875 16 ft x 32 ft 19,200

Other (please specify)

Now, add up the total gallons of water used over the two days by your household across all areas inside

and outside the house: ______________ (A)

Divide that number by 2 to get the household use per day: __________ (B)

Now, divide that first total number (A) by the number of people in the household to get your use per

person: ___________ (C)

Lastly, divide your use per person number (C) by 2 to get the use per person per day (since we

measured water use over 2 days: ________________

Answer the following questions:

1) Was there any water use in your household not captured by the charts above?

2) Review the following facts:

• The average American family/household uses 300+ gallons of water per day

• The average American person uses around 100-160 gallons of water per day

• The average person in France uses 77 gallons of water per day

• The average person in India uses 38 gallons of water per day

• The average person in Mali uses 3 gallons of water per day

Was your daily average household and person use higher or lower than the American averages?

How does your daily average person use compare to averages around the world?

3) How much more would your water use be if you included the water you used outside the home

at work or school as well?

4) Were you surprised by your personal or household water usage? Why or why not?

5) What are some ways you may be able to reduce your water usage if you chose to reduce your

water bill or impact environmentally where you live?

6) In Alabama where UWA is, water conservation is not a big concern. However, if you were to

move to or already do live in Arizona or California, you would almost certainly be required to

reduce your water usage, either by price incentives or city regulations. If you lived there/already

do live there, what are 5 specific ways that you would reduce your water usage? Reference the

link we mentioned in lecture or any of the options below if you need ideas.

Family Water Conservation Tips: TOILET: People use more water flushing the toilet than any other way. • Don’t use the toilet as a wastebasket. • Flush only when necessary. • Save water on each flush by displacing the water in the tank with two half- gallon plastic jugs filled with water and pebbles for weight. • Check for leaks and have them repaired. (Check for leaks by adding a water-soluble vegetable dye to the water in the tank, but don’t flush. If there is a leak, some color will show up in the water in the bowl within a few minutes.)

BATH AND SHOWER: • Take showers instead of baths, and make showers shorter. • Install a water-saving showerhead and have your hot water tank wrapped with insulation. (Contact your utility company for more information on wrapping your water tank.)

SINK: Don’t let water run down the drain while you do the following: • Brush teeth, shave, or wash; • Wash and rinse dishes; • Wash fruits and vegetables; or • Wait for water to get cold to have a drink. (Keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator instead.)

GENERAL HOUSEHOLD: • Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.

• Use low-volume or conservation settings if your machines have them. • Do a home leak-check on all faucets and water lines and repair any leaks. • Water the garden and lawn at dawn when the day is cool (so less water evaporates) and only when needed. • Use “trickle” irrigation instead of sprinkling. • Mulch the garden to retain moisture in the soil. • Consider planting drought-resistant native plants that don’t require watering. Look into “green-scaping”. • Collect rain water or drops from an air conditioner for yard use. • Wash the car using a bucket. Use a hose only when rinsing and always use a nozzle on the garden hose. • Wash the dog or car on the lawn. • Sweep walkways and driveways instead of hosing them. • Recycle aluminum. (Manufacturing aluminum from recycled cans rather than from virgin ore can reduce water usage by 97%.)