This lesson provides an overview of water use in the industrialized world, including a discussion of the increasing need for conservation as populations grow and water supplies stay roughly constant. Users can listen to a National Public Radio (NPR) show that discusses water-use restrictions that have been enacted in Las Vegas in response to persistent drought conditions, and review online resources on overall and domestic water use in the United States. The lesson includes a two-part activity in which students use an online calculator and other resources to examine water use in their homes and read some ideas for reducing their water use. In the second part, they will use an online 'drip calculator' from the American Water Works Association to investigate how much water can be lost by slow drips and leakage.

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This resource requires 'Water Wiser Drip Calculator'

This resource requires 'Water Use Calculator'

Publisher: Kennesaw State University
Environmental Science Activities for the 21st Century (ESA21)
http://esa21.kennesaw.edu/

Author: Matt Laposata
Kennesaw State University