Water Conserving FAQ

1. What is the global water crisis?

a. The global water crisis is the basic problem that we need to conserve our water. Although many people think it is an issue of water scarcity, the real problem is that we need to start using our water more wisely.

2. How can we conserve water?

a. Turn off faucets when not using them.

b. Take shorter showers.

3. What will happen if we don’t conserve water?

a. If we do not start using our water more wisely, we will eventually end up with no water at all.

4. Is water really that important?

a. Yes, water is actually quite important. You may not realize it but water is a vital resource for human life. We consume water, we wash things with it, and we even water our plants with it.

5. Can we live without water?

a. No, in fact we cannot. Because water is so important to many of the basic bodily functions, lack of water can cause severe dehydration and even death.

6. How long can a person go without water?

a. Depending on the temperature, a person can go up to about 10 days without any water.

7. Where do we get our water from?

a. We get our water from both natural and manmade bodies of water that are refilled whenever it rains. There is also a series of processes that we use to clean the water.

8. How is water purified?

a. There is a specific order of processes that water has to go through. The first process is called coagulation. Coagulation is a process which forces suspended particles to stick together into several clumps. In the next step, sedimentation, water is poured into sedimentary bins where any sediment is then removed. The third step in this list, filtration, is self-explainable. Water gets filtered so that anything other than water is thus removed. The final process to get clean water is called disinfection. In the process of disinfection, chemicals and such products are used to disinfect the water so that it is consumable for humans.

9. Why do I care about water conservation?

a. Water conservation is important because although you may not know this, we are all dependent on water.

10. What are people currently doing to conserve water? Are there any organizations I could join to help?

a. Currently, people have found many ways to help conserve water. Also, there are many organizations such as Every Drop Counts.

All case studies were from this website.

Case Study 3

Phoenix, Arizona: Using Less, Conserving More

In Phoenix, Arizona, State legislatures have required that after 2025, Phoenix must not pump groundwater any faster than it can replenish it. As a solution to the problem, members of Phoenix decided to reform water pricing, conserve water that is both industrial, commercial, and indoor residential, and increase the efficiency of plant and turf irrigation. As a result of these changes, Phoenix has saved a total of 40 million gallons per day so far.

Case Study 2

New York City, New York: Conservation as a Water Resource

In the nearby city of New York City, New York, water and sewer rates were quickly doubling. Things had gotten bad. As a way to approach this problem, New Yorkers were asked to regulate water use. After doing this, an average of 30-50 million gallons had been preserved per day.

Case Study 1

Ashland, Oregon: Small Town, Big Savings

In a town of roughly 20,000 people, local members of the community in Ashland, Oregon are learning how to properly conserve their water. The simple approach to conserving water was to adopt four basic concepts: system leak detection and repair, conservation-based water rates, toilet retrofits and replacement, and a high-efficiency showerhead replacement program. By doing this, the town saved an estimated 395,000 gallons of water per year and avoided an estimated 10 million dollars!

Glacier Blanket?

Apparently, there is a fleece-like blanket that you can put on a glacier. It is supposed to protect the glacier during the summer months. That's so cool! =D

Here's a whole bunch of photos about the global water crisis.

Article Summaries

Title: ‘National Geographic’ Water Issue: Emerging Problems Have Many Solutions, But Will We Act Fast Enough?	This article is actually about another National Geographic article. It talks about how although the world is covered in water, we are running low on water suitable for humans. It shows a few examples of how bad this problem has gotten, spanning from retreating glaciers to citizens of Delhi killing each other for a few containers of water. It is clear from these examples that something needs to be done to change this problem.
By Jeneen Interlandi
Published April 5th, 2010
From Newsweek
http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thehumancondition/archive/2010/04/05/national-geographic-s-water-issue-emerging-problems-have-many-solutions-but-will-we-act-fast-enough.aspx

Title: The Dry Facts About Water	This article plainly states that those in developed countries tend to waste water while those in undeveloped countries are forced to live without. With the comparison that undeveloped countries use in one day what developed countries use to brush their teeth, Noonoo is stating that water needs to be saved quickly. Also in the article, she states that the water crisis in some areas isn’t necessarily about water scarcity, but improper management and usage.
By Jemimah Noonoo
Published June 24th, 2007
From Newsweek
http://www.newsweek.com/id/33508

Title: Land, Water, and Conflict	This article focuses on Darfur and those living on the margin of survival. Specifically, it identifies some of the major issues that are going on in the area. Because water scarcity is one of the issues mentioned, I decided this was relevant.
By Jeffrey Sachs
From the July 7-14th, 2008 Issue
From Newsweek
http://www.newsweek.com/id/143700

Title: Dying For A Drink	Beginning with a story about Lake Mead’s water level, this article moves on to talk about why it is that the water level is diminishing.
By Bryan Walsh
Published Thursday, December 4th, 2008
From Time Magazine
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1864440,00.html

Title: Dried Out	This article is about the importance of water and the need to preserve it. It lists several reasons as to why the global water crisis needs to be solved.
By Maryann Bird
Published Monday, May 7th, 2001
From Time Magazine
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,108131,00.html

Multimedia Resource List

• · Conserve Water: http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/environment/going-green-environment/green-home-makeover/conserve-water-greenguide.html this is a very short video showing a few ways that people can save water in their home. I find it very helpful.
• · Running Dry: http://www.runningdry.org/action.html This video explains how we are running out of water and need to use it wiser.
• · 100 Ways to Conserve Water: http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/index.php This is a list of 100 ways to conserve water.
• · Water Uses: http://ag.arizona.edu/AZWATER/azmap/uses.html This website explains the many uses of water.
• · The Importance of Water: http://www.aomega.com/mpure/water.htm This website explains how important water is to the world.
• · Water: http://www.laleva.cc/environment/water.html This website shows some scientific background behind water and its importance.
• · The Importance of Water to Human Health: http://blog.watershed.net/2008/06/03/the-importance-of-water-to-human-health/ As the title says, this website explains how water is very important to the health of humans.
• · Water Conservation: http://www.monolake.org/about/waterconservation This website shows how and why water can be preserved.
• · HOME (English with Subtitles): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU this video is about the environment in general, but focuses on water at certain times, which i find to be very helpful.
• · Water Health FAQ: http://www.lenntech.com/water-health-faq.htm This website talks about water and how it is important to health.
• · How To Save Water: http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-uncle-sam/stories/how-to-save-water As the title states, this websites shows a few ways to save water.
• · Water Saving Tips: http://watersavingtips.org/saving.html This website presents ways to preserve water.
• · Summary of the Water Cycle: http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercyclesummary.html This video and explanation shows how water goes through the water cycle.
• · Water Saving Tips: http://www.bewaterwise.com/tips01.html This is just a few more ways to save water.
• · Water Information Center: http://water.nationalacademies.org/basics.shtml If you click through the site, there is much to learn about water and conserving it.

The Water Cycle

The Science Behind Water Conservation

Water is one of the world’s most useful natural resources. In fact, most if not all life forms on Earth depend on water. The uses of water span from drinking to watering a plant to something as simple as washing the dishes. We as humans use water for so many things that we are beginning to depend on it too much. Although water is all over the planet, only 3% of that water is fresh water. On top of that, only 1/3 of that water can actually be used because the other 2/3 is stuck in ice caps. This means that out of all of the useful water on planet Earth, only about 1 percent of it can actually be consumed by humans. Due to this statistic, it is estimated that sooner or later, we will run out of consumable water. What we haven’t realized is that if we do not figure out ways to conserve this water, we will eventually run out of it. And, without clean water, the people on earth will be unable to survive.

With things like the water cycle coming into play, it is unknown whether or not water is pure. As for the earth’s natural bodies of water, they are often contaminated with animal wastes. Luckily, scientists have found a way for water from these natural bodies to become of use to humans. However, there is a specific order of processes that water has to go through. The first process is called coagulation. Coagulation is a process which forces suspended particles to stick together into several clumps. In the next step, sedimentation, water is poured into sedimentary bins where any sediment is then removed. The third step in this list, filtration, is self-explainable. Water gets filtered so that anything other than water is thus removed. The final process to get clean water is called disinfection. In the process of disinfection, chemicals and such products are used to disinfect the water so that it is consumable for humans.

What people rarely notice is that if we do not find a way to preserve the water that we have, we will have to learn some sort of way to live without it. In an attempt to solve this problem, I am planning to go to my old elementary school and speak with the students there about this issue. Hopefully, they will understand that preserving water is a crucial need and that it needs to get done soon. I feel that by doing this, I will be able to spread the word much quicker. If I remind the kids of a few ways to preserve water, then hopefully they will listen and follow some of the guidelines for preserving water. Simple things like taking shorter showers and turning off unused faucets are just a few quick steps to take in an attempt to save water. If we as a society can learn to find a way to use water wiser, than we will be on our way to a better lifestyle.

This is so pretty.