1. Activity Water Used Freshwater is used in MANY ways
Using water
Activity
Water Used
1 toilet flush
1.5 gallons
1 shower
10 gallons
Brushing teeth
2 gallons per minute
To produce 1 ton of steel
75,000 gallons
To make 1 car
90,000 gallons
1 pound of plastic
24 gallons
1 pound of cotton
1,320 gallons
1 cotton shirt
700 gallons
1 gallon of milk
880 gallons
1 pack of paper (500 sheets)
1,321 gallons
1 pound of chocolate
3,170 gallons
1 slice of bread
11 gallons
Freshwater is used in MANY ways
GW supplies most of this water

3. Water Health
The health of a water system can be influenced by natural or synthetic causes
When water is safe to drink, it is called potable water.

4. Threats to our water supply
Overuse – GW can be depleted faster than the recharge rate, causing the water table to drop
Possible field trip to Western? Or ask Mark to come in and talk about Gas leak?

5. Water Pollution
Ogallala Aquifer in the Great Plains provides freshwater for roughly 1/5 of the wheat, corn, cattle and cotton in the United States. But the aquifer is being depleted faster than they can be recharged by rain (see map).
Possible field trip to Western? Or ask Mark to come in and talk about Gas leak?

6. Threats to our water supply
Subsidence – the sinking of land above an aquifer (caused by excessive GW withdrawal)
Possible field trip to Western? Or ask Mark to come in and talk about Gas leak?

7. Threats to our water supply
Pollution – the most easily polluted GW sources are unconfined aquifers (confined aquifers are protected by impermeable rock)
Most common causes of pollution:
Sewage
Industrial waste
Landfills
Agricultural chemical
Naturally occurring Salt/Radon
Possible field trip to Western? Or ask Mark to come in and talk about Gas leak?

8. Threats to our water supply
Pollutants that occur upstream can affect all inhabitants that share the same watershed
Possible field trip to Western? Or ask Mark to come in and talk about Gas leak?

9. Threats to our water supply
Saltwater Intrusion – freshwater aquifers are contaminated with salt water
Occurs in coastal areas naturally or through overuse of wells
Possible field trip to Western? Or ask Mark to come in and talk about Gas leak?

10. Types of Pollution
Pollution that comes from 1 specific site is called point-source pollution
1 car in the parking lot
Emissions from industrial plant
Nonpoint-source pollution is pollution that comes from many sources
A parking lot full of cars
Urban runoff
Construction
Forestry
Go outside and show examples
HARDEST TO CONTROL

11. Possible field trip to Western
Possible field trip to Western? Or ask Mark to come in and talk about Gas leak?