Race 2 Reduce

Map of Planet Earth

Water Covers ¾ of Planet Earth. Facts About Water

97% Oceans 2% Glaciers and Polar Ice 1% Fresh Water All the Water in the World Facts About Water

BRAINSTORM! With your neighbors, think of all the ways that you use water on a regular basis

Water is so important! What factors can you control? How much water is used when I…. Flush the toilet: 5 gallons Wash hands: 2 Brush teeth: 2-10 Run the dishwasher: 60 Wash clothes: 50 Wash the car: 100

Water Trivia How many gallons of water, on average, does each person use per day in the U.S.?

Water Trivia How many gallons of water, on average, does each person use per day in the U.S.? 100

Water Trivia How much water does it take to make a fast food meal?

Water Trivia How much water does it take to make a fast food meal? 1400

Water Trivia How much water does it take to produce one pound of chocolate ?

Water Trivia How much water does it take to produce one pound of chocolate ? 2170

Facts About Water Video: We use water in lots of different ways In fact, water was used to make the clothes that you are wearing right now!

Where does your water come from? Groundwater or Surface water Public or Private Figure from Minnesota Department of Health

Groundwater & Aquifers Groundwater: water stored in spaces within rock units. It moves slowly underground and can seep back into surface water. Aquifer: a rock unit that can become saturated with water and allow water to flow.

Groundwater & Aquifers Porosity: a measure of a rocks ability to hold fluid Permeability: a measure of how easy it is for fluids to flow through the rock

Aquifers

What about White Bear Lake? The lake is experiencing a rapid decline in water level Past: – Periods of low precipitation and drought caused the low lake levels Present: – Water levels are significantly lower than in past times of drought – So, other factors are involved and scientists want to know why…

Who is affected by the low lake levels? Flora and fauna Home owners Local businesses Community

What’s going on today? The cause of the low lake levels is uncertain, but a few reasons have been proposed: 1.The communities surrounding White Bear Lake use pumps to draw water from the underlying aquifer, and in recent years, we are pumping too much water! 2.The low lake levels may be a result of natural climate variation. 3.Other factors?

Let’s take a closer look…

Water level data from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for the past 10 years

But, guess what? Water is a really important natural resource. Earth only has a finite supply of water – it is renewable if we use it wisely. So, regardless of the cause of the decreasing lake level… Reducing our water use is critical for preserving this important resource for future generations!

How much water do YOU use? You have the opportunity to: TRACK your typical water consumption Saving WBL needs to be a community effort, starting with a reduction in personal and business water use!

Build a model aquifer! 1.In your plastic cup, layer units in this order: a.1 small scoop of sand b.Flat layer of clay covering half the cup (grape sized piece) c.1 small scoop of pebbles 2. Arrange the pebbles so they are mostly on top of the clay (covering half the cup and sloping down) 3.Pour 1 small scoop of water into your cup (a small pool of water should form on one side) 4.Where does the water go when you add it to the cup? 5.Add 1 drop of food coloring to the top of your pebble layer 6.Watch to see what happens to the food coloring. What does this represent?

Discussion questions Where did the water go when you added it to your cup? Which part would make the best aquifer? What did the food coloring represent? What happened when you put a drop of food coloring into your cup?