LAB (WATER USAGE)

EAS 104 Lab 4 - Water Usage (40 points)

Everyday in the United States people use billions of gallons of water while they are doing their

daily activities: taking a shower or a bath, washing dishes, doing laundry, flushing the toilet,

washing a car, or watering plants. Water is a precious, limited resource and people often use

more than necessary. Finding ways to conserve water can help preserve our water resources and

can also help reduce energy use. In this Virtual Lab you will learn how much water a typical

home might use and find ways to conserve on water usage. Besides, in the lab you will learn how

and where New York state water use has changed with population growth and many

technological, environmental, and regulatory drivers.

Objectives: Explore state-wide and personal water use and evaluate water conservation options.

Task 1

Include your Full Name, Course Title, Lab Section, and Lab Assignment Number on the top of the first page of your submitted work.

• Go to https://www.home-water-works.org/calculator.

• Explore the calculation tool and fill in all the questions it asks.

• There should be a link to “My Result” after you complete the calculation.

• Scroll down to “My Efficiency Plan” (shown below):

• Find out the categories where you use excessive water at home by comparing to “Water Efficient House”; copy the categories and data to Excel (e.g. Table 1):

• As of July 1, 2018, water costs 0.52 cent per gallon . How much money will be saved in a 1

year by the amount of water (in gallons) you conserves yearly? Record your answers in

Table 1.

• Hint:Total Money Saving (dollars)=“Total Saving (gallons)” * 0.52 cent • For example, 5217 gallons* 0.52 cent = 2720 cent = 27.2 dollars

• Table 1- Inefficient Household Water Use (7 points)

* “Saving (gallons)” = “My House Water Use (gallons)” - “Efficient-House Use(gallons)”.

For example, 13063 (gallons) - 9797 (gallons) = 3266 (gallons). * “Total Saving (Gallons)” = Sum of all “Saving (gallons)” column. For example, total saving (gallons) = 3266 (gallons) +1951 (gallons) = 5217 (gallons).

https://www1.nyc.gov/nyc-resources/service/2703/water-and-sewer-rate1

Category My House Water Use (gallons/year)

Efficient-House Use (gallons/year)

Saving (gallons/ year) Annual Saving ($)

Shower 13063 9797 3266 17.1 Clothes Washer

5342 3391 1951 10.1

Total Annual Water Saving (gallons)

5217 27.2

• Go to https://water.usgs.gov/edu/activity-watertaste.html and respond to the questionnaire; then click “Submit your answer”, you will see a result page showing all responses to the

questionnaire by state.

• Use the information on the result page to fill the table below: (7 points) • Table 2 - Faucet Water Taste

• Use the survey results to describe the water taste in NY state. (1 point)

Task 2

• Go to https://owi.usgs.gov/vizlab/water-use/; • Select “2015” and click “Total” and move your cursor to New York. Record the number for

Total Withdrawals (Mgal/d).

State Tastes fine,

no complaints Tastes flat,

lack of any taste

Metallic, like

iron or rust

Earthy or moldy

Smells, tastes like rotten eggs

Salty Total count

NY

New York

Select “Total”

2015

• Click “Thermoelectric” for the freshwater withdrawn for thermoelectric in NY 2015. Record the number.

• Click “Public Supply” and record the number.

• Click “Irrigation” and record the number. • Click “Industrial” and record the number.

• What does “Mgal/d” mean? (1 point)

• Fill in the table below:

• Table 3 - Freshwater Withdrawals in NY 2015 (6 points)

* Percentage (thermoelectric) = 2210/5041 = 0.44 = 44%

• Make a pie chart using data in Table 3 (4 points)

• Repeat the steps to fill the table below: • Table 4 - Freshwater Withdrawals in NY 2010 (9 points)

• Make a pie chart using data in Table 4 (4 points)

• Analyze how the freshwater withdrawals change between 2010 and 2015. (1 point)

NY in 2015 Mgal/d Percentage

Total 5041

Thermoelectric 2210 44%

Public Supply

Irrigation

Industrial

NY in 2010 Mgal/d Percentage

Total

Thermoelectric

Public Supply

Irrigation

Industrial