WATER USE AND MANAGEMENT

Residential Use United States – 80 gallons water used per person per day – ½ used for drinking, cooking, washing, toilet – ½ used for watering lawns, washing cars Daily Water Use in US (per person) Lawns & pools25 gal Toilet Flushing24 gal Bathing19 gal Teeth3 gal Cleaning6 gal Cooking & Drinking3 gal

Water Treatment Treats water to remove pollutants and pathogens (organisms that make you sick) Potable – water that is safe to drink Treatment Methods: – Community Water Treatment Plant – Home Ultraviolet light, filtering

Industrial Use 19% of world use Used to make goods, remove wastes, generate power – Ex. 133,333 gallons water used to make 1 car Most water is used in power-plants (cooling towers)

Agricultural Use 67% of water used in the world – Irrigation: provides water from sources other than precipitation Ditches Sprinklers Takes about 80 gallons of water to produce one ear of corn!

Water Management Thousands of years humans have been controlling the use of water – Romans built aqueducts -canals that carried water from the mountains Dams (build across a river to control water flow) – Electricity – Water use Reservoir (forms behind a dam)

Water Conservation Helps ensure water is available Agriculture – Drip irrigation: brings small amounts of water to roots as needed Industry – Water recycling (cooling water and wastewater) Home – Low flush toilets & shower heads – Using only water when needed – Xeriscaping

Future solutions Desalination – removes salts from salt water – Used in Middle East – Heats water and collects the fresh water that evaporates – Takes a lot of energy and is very expensive Water Transport – Bagged water – Greek islands imported water in plastic bags and pump it onto the island – Towing Icebergs – efficient ways to transport have not been discovered yet.

Summary What are the 3 main uses for water? What is potable water? What 3 ways we can conserve water?