Water Consumption & Conservation

Water is the most precious resource on the planet. Life on Earth could not exist without water. I plan to make a video that details the important role that water plays in our lives and the natural world. This video will not be a doomsday outlook in regards to our water use, but rather a critique of our water habits and how we can work to reduce our water footprint so that we can provide the next generation with enough water to survive.

The first portion of the video will explain the water cycle. About 97% of the water on earth is the salt water in the forms of oceans, seas & bays and the remaining 3% is fresh water in the forms of surface water, ground water, icecaps, glaciers, rivers, swamps and lakes. Only 1% of that fresh water is usable to humans. The water cycle is the process that recycles water on Earth. Salt water from the ocean makes the transformation to fresh water when it is heated by the sun and evaporates into the air. Air currents take the water vapor into the atmosphere where it is then condensed into clouds. Clouds then release the water as precipitation. Precipitation can take three possible paths: 1) freeze and accumulate in the forms of ice caps or glaciers 2) fall back into the ocean 3) fall onto land. Precipitation that falls onto land can flow over the ground as surface runoff, into lakes, swamps and rivers. Much of the surface runoff water seeps into the ground as infiltration. Over time the water eventually makes its way back into the ocean where the cycle will repeat.

The second portion of the video will break down the water use of the average American and the agricultural industry. This portion will also inform the audience of many ways that they can reduce their water footprint.

"The average family of four can use 400 gallons of water every day, and, on average, approximately 70 percent of that water is used indoors."

"The bathroom is the largest consumer of indoor water. The toilet alone can use 27 percent of household water. Almost every activity or daily routine that happens in the home bathroom uses a large quantity of water."

"A bathroom faucet generally runs at 2 gallons of water per minute. By turning off the tap while brushing your teeth or shaving, a person can save more than 200 gallons of water per month."

"Older toilets use between 3.5 and 7 gallons of water per flush."

Sources

"Where is Earth's water located? USGS Water Science for Schools." USGS Georgia Water Science Center. Web. 22 Jan. 2010. http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthwherewater.html. This source outlines the distribution of water on Earth (i.e. areas that contain salt water and areas that contain fresh water).

"The Water Cycle: Summary, from USGS Water Science." USGS Georgia Water Science Center. Web. 22 Jan. 2010. http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercyclesummary.html. This source outlines the water cycle.

"American Water Works Association – www.drinktap.org Home Water Information Conservation Water Use Statistics." Home. Web. 22 Jan. 2010. http://www.drinktap.org/consumerdnn/Home/WaterInformation/Conservation/WaterUseStatistics/tabid/85/Default.aspx. This source breaks down the common uses of water at home and the amount that they use.

"US Indoor Water Use | WaterSense | US EPA." U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 22 Jan. 2010. http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/pubs/indoor.html. This source lists several important facts regarding the average indoor use in the United States.