Water Conservation
Going Green Project by Sean Hu
Problem
We humans don't think about how much water we use, and waste at the same time. About 17% of the water use are used for showering. An average person uses about 15 gallons of water just for a 10 minute shower. Every minute, about 2.5-5 gallons of water is flowing down the drain for our shower's sake. If we were to take a bath, it would take up about 4 times that amount. We use up about 2.3% of the available fossil fuels each year. The longer our showers take, the more fossil fuels we burn to heat up the water. Since burning fossil fuels release Greenhouse gasses, this issue also causes Global Warming. The more pollution is in the air, the more unhealthy it is for us to breathe in the air we usually do. If people wash their faces in the shower, they should rethink their action. Washing their faces in the shower actually waste more more water than when they wash them in the sink. Gallons of water are wasted are also wasted when brushing your teeth in the shower. Some days don't even require a shower.
Project Plan
In this project, I recorded how long 3 of my family members take to shower. Then, I tried giving some advice on how to save water while showering. Finally, I wrote down me observations about the differences of the shower times and saw if there any improvement on the amount of water used/wasted and in the water bill.
Benefits
Conserving water is beneficial for the environment. Taking shorter showers leads to saving money on the water bills. Since fossil fuels are burned for warm water, there won't be as much Greenhouse gasses in the air to cause Global Warming. Since fossil fuels pollute pollute the air, reducing that amount of coal burned will contribute to a healthier ecosystem. Then, the planet can be able to adapt better to changes brought on by Global Warming. After the air pollution is reduced, humans will not have to breathe in that much toxic fumes. If we reduce Global Warming, the climate will be more stable and the temperature won't not rise and fall. Since there are less hazardous weather conditions and naturally-occurring rain, the soil will also have sufficient moisture to support plant growth. When we conserve water, it will also help prevent droughts. This is important to all living beings.
Positive Effects on Biotic and Abiotic Factors
Conserving water affects abiotic and biotic factors in the environment. The positive effects of taking shorter showers to reduce wasted water on the non-living factors, such as soil and climate, are that it stabilizes the climate and provides soil with an adequate amount of moisture. When the soil has enough moisture and the climate is stabilized, the biotic factors - humans, animals, plants, etc. - will have better nutrients and a better environment to grow and flourish in.
Use of Resources
In the act of conserving water, renewable resources are being used and non-renewable resources are being reduced. Water is used and less wasted, and coal (fossil fuels) and Greenhouse gasses are reduced. 70% of Earth is water, but less than 1% of that are available for humans to use (freshwater). The other 99% of that is all salt water (that we can't drink). We burn about 293,694.5 tons of fossil fuels a day. When we shorten our shower times, we are also conserving coal.
Return on Investment
Conserving water saves money and helps the environment. For each gallon of water we save, we save about $1.50 towards our water bill. If we can at least shorten our showers down to at most 10 minutes a day, we'd be saving up to 6,661,250 gallons of water a year. That costs about $4,440,833.33. For every minute we shower, we burn about 25 tons of fossil fuels. So if we decrease our shower times to 10 minutes a day at most, we could deplete the fossil fuel burnings by about 106,267,742.5 tons.
Graphs
Graph Analysis
During the project, my sister used the most water with times (in minutes) of mid-20's and high-teens (before) and mid-teens and 10 (during). My mom uses the least water taking about 10-13 minutes (before) and about 6-12 minutes (during). I'm just smack in the middle between my sister and my mom. My times were in the low 20's and mid-tens (before) and mid-teens and high single digits (during).
Credit (Source)
National Geographic...Water Conservation Tips...Showers... http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/water-conservation-tips/