Being able to apply and experience what one learns is an important concept of science
and Earthscape. One of the ways of doing this is through hands-on activities. Experiments like the ones listed below help illustrate concepts that are essential to understanding water and understanding the water in your own region. Here are just a few possible activities that we feel will help you understand water better.

 

Activity #1 Auditing Your Water Use
(Courtesy of the American Water Resource Association AWRA)

Water conservation is important for several reasons. The more water we conserve, the more we have for other uses and the less money we spend on treatment and treatment facilities. The following survey is designed to increase your awareness of the water you use, how water is wasted, and how you can conserve water.

Auditing Water Use
A. Bath
 1. Volume of water used (circle one):  (Use answer in A3)
    1/3 of tub = 57 liters	    1/2 of tub = 76 liters	 
   2/3 of tub = 106 liters
 2. Number of baths taken daily:______ per day.  
     (Use answer in A3)
 3. Daily water usage for bathtub: A1 x A2 =
     ______ liters per day
B. Toilet
 1. Liters per flush _____ liters.  (Use answer in B3 )
     If you know your fixture is a low-volume model, 
     enter 13 liters.
     If you do not have a low-volume model, enter 26 liters.
 2. Count the number of times you flush the toilet a day:
       ___ per day (Use answer in B3)
 3. Daily water usage from toilet: 
     B1 x B2 = ____ liters per day.
C. Shower
 1. Average length of shower: _____ minutes 
     (Use answer in C3)
 2. Flow rate of water used in shower: 
      _____liters per minute (Use answer in C3)
   To measure flow rate of water:
   a. Adjust the shower's water flow as you would normally.
   b. Record the time it takes to fill a 
       2 liter bottle with water. Convert the
       measurements to liters per minute.
     Example:
        liters per minute= 
60 seconds/ 1 minute   x  
                                    
 2 liters/time to fill bottle in sec.
 3. Average shower water, use C1 x C2 = 
     ____ liters (Use answer in C5)
 4. Number of showers taken daily: 
      ______ per day. (Use answer in C5)
 5. Daily water use for showers C3 x C4 =
      ______ liters per day.
D. Faucet
 1. Use the procedure described in the "Shower" 
     section to measure your flow of 
     water from faucets in liters per minute. (Use answer in D3)
 2. Determine the time you spend running water 
     during the day for the following:
      Tooth brushing _____minutes per day
       Drinking ________minutes per day
 TOTAL ________ minutes per day (Use answer in D3)
 3. Daily water use for faucet: D1 x D2 (total) =
      ______ liters per day.
E. Dishwasher
 1. Loads done for your whole family each week:
       ______loads per week.
 2. E1 divided by 7 = ______loads per day. 
     (Use answer in E3)
 3. Daily water  used for Dish washing: 
      E2 x 60 liters per load = ___ liters per day
F. Clothes washer
 1. Loads done for your whole family each week:
       ____loads per week
 2. F1 divided by 7 = ______loads per day. 
     (Use answer in F3)
 3. Daily water used for clothes washing: = 
      F2 x 144 liters per load = ____liters per day
TOTAL DAILY WATER USE = ________ liters per day
   ( Add the liters per day totals.)

Questions
1. In which category is the most water used?
2. Discuss ways to decrease water use.
 Examples:
 a. Spend less time in the shower
 b. Take a shower instead of a bath
 c. Run the clothes washer and dishwasher with full loads
 d. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth
3. Determine an improved daily use of water by applying 
    the water-saving suggestions discussed previously.

Adapted from South Florida Water Management District,
"Auditing Your Water Use"

Activity #2 Water Distribution Demonstration
( Courtesy of the American Water
Resource Association AWRA)

Humans must have freshwater to live, but about 97% of the Earth's water is too salty to
use. The remaining 3% is freshwater, but most of it is in polar icecaps, remote glaciers, and
icebergs. This makes it not very accessible. Accessible freshwater, therefore, comes from streams, lakes, and underground sources. These sources represent less than one-half of
1% of all water on Earth. The objectives of this demonstration are to a) Know the
distribution of Earth's water, and b) Be able to name the sources of freshwater on Earth.

Procedure

1) Fill one 1,000-mL graduated cylinder with colored water to the 1,000 mL line.
This represents the Earth's entire supply of water. Pour 28 mL of the total water into a
second 1,000-mL graduated cylinder. The 28 mL of water represents the Earth's total
freshwater supply. The remaining 972 mL of water is saltwater that occurs primarily in oceans.

2) Divide the 28 mL of freshwater by pouring into smaller containers; 23 mL for icecaps
and glaciers, 4 mL for ground water, 2 drops for surface water, and 1 drop for the water
in the atmosphere and soil.

3) List the percentages of Earth' s water on the chalkboard or overhead projector. Refer to these numbers as you continue.

Interpretative Questions

As you examine and compare the different volumes of water in the graduated cylinders, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Which of the four freshwater graduated cylinder represents the most freshwater on Earth?
2. Is this a source of freshwater commonly used by humans for drinking, watering lawns, etc.?
3. Approximately what percentage of the Earth's freshwater is ground water?
4. Where is most of Earth's water found?
5. Can cities near oceans use the water from the oceans for households and industry?
6. Can salts be removed from water?

Answers

1. Icecaps and glaciers.
2. No, icecaps and glaciers are usually too far away from population centers.
3. 14%
4. Oceans
5. No, the ocean water contains salts that are harmful to humans, kill plants, and corrode
metals.
6. Yes, but the desalinization process is very expensive.

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