How Much Water Do You Use?
What is your household's weekly water usage?Copyright 2004 Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399 USA. All rights reserved.
Students keep track of their own water usage for one week, gaining an understanding of how much water is used for various everyday activities. They relate their own water usages to the average residents of imaginary Thirsty County, and calculate the necessary water capacity of a dam that would provide residential water to the community.
When designing dams and water supply infrastructure, civil engineers and planners must understand how much demand must be met with the design. Residential domestic use comprises a significant portion of the design load. Accurate estimates of per capita water usage are important so that engineers do not over- or under-design a dam, especially because dam design, construction and oversight are expensive.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Calculate volume of water used on a daily and weekly rate.
- Explain ways to limit their own water usage.
- Know an average water usage rate for one person in a home.